Teana's Travels Book 8: Break the Cycle
by D.K.N
Summary: The Starshot heads to the Earth that Shion called home, to the town of Hinamizawa. There, they face violent traditionalists, a deadly plague, a mysterious organization that seeks bloodshed, and the first signs of an even greater threat... Rated M for violence & language, just in case
1. Defying the Curse

And now things get action-y again as the _Starshot _crew head for Hinamizawa.

**DISCLAIMERS:**

_Mahō Shōjo Lyrical Nanoha _(Teana, concept of Intelligent Devices, some magic) – 7Arcs

_Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni _(Shion, this world and several of its occupants) – 07th Expansion and Studio Deen

_Shuffle! _(Kaede Fuyō, Rin, Asa & Ama, Sia & Nerine, Primula) – Navel and Asread

_Erika's New Perfume _(Marie, Sarah, Erika, Timmy, Veronica) – Deviant-Art artist Lance the Young

_Mai-chan's Daily Life _(Mai, Kizuna) – Waita Uziga

_Star Wars _(Ahsoka, Cody, Rex) – George Lucas, Lucasfilm

_Halo _(Forerunners, UNSC, Sangheili Alliance) – Bungie and 343 Industries

_StarCraft _(multiple mentions of characters, events, and devices) – Blizzard Entertainment

_Naruto _(jutsu, abilities) – Masashi Kishimoto

_Mahō Sensei Negima _(spells, abilities) – Ken Akamatsu

**CHARACTER HEIGHTS:**

**Teana Uchiha-Lanstar: **5'6" (1.67m)

**Shion (LEGALLY NO SURNAME): **5'7" (1.7m)

**Kaede Fuyō: **5' 3.7" (1.62m)

**Marie Swanson: **5'3" (1.6m)

**Mai Kitagawa: **5'3" (1.6m)

**Ahsoka Tano: **5' 3.4" (1.61m) (excluding montrals)

**Kizuna Kawamura: **4'8" (1.42m)

**Sarah Swanson: **5'11" (1.77m)

**Erika Swanson: **4' 7.5" (1.41m)

**Tim Randall: **4'10" (1.48m)

**Veronica Swanson: **5'9" (1.75m)

**Rin Tsuchimi: **5. 9.8" (1.775m)

**Asa Shigure: **5' 4.2" (1.63m)

**Ama Shigure: **5' 3.5" (1.613m)

**Lisianthus "Sia" Eustoma: **5'3" (1.6m)

**Nerine Forbessi: **5' 0.5" (1.54m)

**Primula: **4' 11.4" (1.51m)

**Rika Furude: **4'5" (1.35m)

**Keiichi Maebara: **5' 8.5" (1.74m)

**Reina "Rena" Ryūgū: **5'4" (1.62m)

**Mion Sonozaki: **5' 6.5" (1.68m)

**Satoko Hōjō: **4'8" (1.42m)

**Satoshi Hōjō: **5'7" (1.71m)

**Hanyū: **4' 11.5" (1.51m)

**_BOOK START_****:**

Rika Furude sighed as she meandered through the town, feeling too tired to keep up her "happy little girl" façade for the public right now. The weight of time on her shoulders felt heavier than ever, the memories of her various failures flashing through her mind.

("_Marked for demolition, I'm – just a time-bomb ticking inside, No hope for the hopeless, I can see the pieces all laid out in front of me_")

Time and time again, repeating and repeating, an endless cycle of bloodshed, terror, insanity, and death… it was enough to drive anyone to madness. How Rika had avoided completely losing her mind long ago was a mystery even to her. Watching her friends succumb to the Syndrome and tear each other – and themselves – apart, and she still hadn't the slightest idea who or what was truly behind all of it.

("_No point even asking why; couldn't help even if you tried. Step aside or you might just be the next contestant to feel the brutality_")

Around 17 cycles back, space-time had "hiccupped", and ever since then events had been moved 27 years forward in time. Now Rika's year of birth was 2001, not 1974, and the others matched. The people she knew and didn't know were pretty much still the same, and Hanyū had confirmed they were indeed the same souls, the same people. They just had access to technologies and other developments that the original iterations did not. Hanyū couldn't understand it; Rika didn't even bother to try. Events still played out in the same way – clan histories, the dam project, and other things; Dr. Irie was no closer to developing a cure for the Syndrome as he was before the change. Rika had spent the first few cycles getting rather absorbed in the movies, shows, and video games that this time-twisting made available to her, but the novelty wore off about eight cycles in, as each iteration continued to meet the same gruesome end. She still had no idea why, and no clue as to how to stop it. The killing and suffering continued unabated.

("_Devastation, obliteration, are all to the point of exacerbation. There's no explaining my situation now; why does this shit keep happenin' to me?!_")

The incident with Shion three months ago had been completely out of the blue. That she had blown up at her family hadn't been too much of a surprise. That she'd denounced the Sonozaki Clan, cast aside her last name, and then _left the planet _via a dimensional distortion, however… Hanyū hadn't been able to confirm anything other than that there were humans wherever the distortion had taken Shion, and there was a slight possibility that said humans were far enough in the future that FTL travel existed.

When Rika looked at it, the disappearance of a member of her core group may cause even more trouble in the long run. Satoko now didn't have Shion as her elder sister-figure, and Mion was _not _taking the whole thing well at all. Every attempt Rika made to repair the damage, to take their minds off of their wayward member, ended in failure.

("_Too dark for forgiveness, I – can't seem to do anything right. When I try to rebuild, I see my humble shelter just fall to the ground again._")

Just last week, two men on the outskirts of the village had succumbed to the Syndrome and killed each other… though investigations discovered that the two in question _hated _each other, and the incident that acted as a trigger probably would've resulted in bloodshed even without the Syndrome. When Rika had caught a peek at the police photographs of the bodies, she had, for a brief flash of an instant – seen them as two of her friends. She took this as a sign that her own mind, after so many repetitions, was finally starting to unravel from the accumulated strain.

("_Object to an evil eye, no point to let anyone try. Take heed, my friend, lest you be torn asunder like all that's become of me_")

Hanyū had expressed her concern more than once that Rika was starting to show signs of an eventual breakdown, but the time-trapped girl dismissed the fretful ghost's worries. Rika wouldn't break down. She couldn't afford to. Doing so would mean that everything & everyone would be lost once and for all, so she _could not _allow herself to break. She utterly refused the possibility that she may not have a say in the matter, that one day she _will_ break and give in despite her best attempts otherwise, that it was a matter of "when", not of "if", that she simply couldn't keep going for too much longer.

("_Decimation, disintegration, are now beyond the point of imagination, there's no explaining my situation now; why does this shit keep happenin' to me?!_")

So she would keep going, keep moving forward for as long as she could, no matter how much pain was involved. With every repetition, she'd keep looking for something – _anything _– that showed even the tiniest spark of hope. Even if she ended up having to sacrifice herself in the end, so long as her friends survived that was acceptable. She would fight, she would bleed, she would die, but she would never, ever stop.

("_I've held on too long just to let it go now! Will my inner strength get me through it somehow? Defying the curse that has taken hold, never surrender! I'll never be overcome!_")

No matter what it took, she would find a way to break this curse.

**-****_SCENE BREAK_****-**

Rika opened the door of the house she & Satoko (and Hanyū, but she was a ghost so it didn't fully count) shared. Her little friend was out & about with the others at the moment, so the house was quiet and empty. As she walked into the living room, she jumped in surprise at the sight of a black-cloaked figure – around half a foot taller than Rika, from the looks of it – seated on the couch. The figure raised its hands up in a defensive position upon sighting Rika.

"Easy, Furude-san" said the voice of what sounded like a young girl. "I mean you no harm. I came to deliver something to you."

"What sort of delivery?" asked Rika in her "true", deep tone, as she noticed the odd emblem hanging from the front of the figure's cloak – a white top half of a heart, with the bottom replaced by a spiked, upside-down cross. The girl walked up to Rika in response, close enough that Rika could make out the red irises of her eyes beneath the hood, and handed Rika a dark-blue box of sorts with rounded edges and blue & green "Tron lines" running along and across it.

"This contains detailed audio/video recordings of the happenings in various other realms… including the one that Shion-san ended up in."

At this, Rika's eyes widened.

"_H-How is that possible?_" Hanyū wondered aloud, standing behind Rika.

"I have my ways, Hanyū-san" the cloaked girl replied, surprising the other two.

"You can see and hear her?" "_You can see and hear me?_"

"Yes. I don't have the time to explain how; I must get back to the realm I've been staying in with a couple of companions there. However, know this: I am your ally, and an ally of the group Shion-san has become a part of. There is a grave threat coming. When it arrives, I shall stand at their side against it. And… I am certain that Shion's new friends have what it takes to break the cycle you two are trapped in."

Rika was struck silent.

"Get your core group together – your friends, and anyone else you think deserves to know – and find a place to watch the recordings together. They've been enchanted with a temporal distortion spell, so you'll be able to view the entire, several days' worth of footage while only a handful of hours pass outside the distortion field, and the field has been fine-tuned so your bodies will think that only said hours have passed; you'll not need to worry about food or sleep so long as you are all within the field. …That being said, this is a one-time-use thing, so make sure that everyone you want to see it is present."

"…Thank you" Rika said with a polite bow several seconds later, accepting the device. It was then to Rika's surprise that the figure smiled, stepped forward, and gave her a hug.

"W-Why are you…?"

"Because you really, really need a hug after all you've been through."

Rika quickly decided "the hell with it" and accepted it, feeling as if the warmth turned into hope and strength within her. This was one of the figure's more obscure and yet quite useful spells: through physical contact, she could restore a person's willpower, hope, and strength to keep going. Her reason for choosing to do it via a hug was merely a personal preference (and, mental age aside, Rika was just so cute and sad-looking that she _needed _this hug, in the figure's opinion). After about a minute, she broke off, and softly rested a hand on Rika's head.

"It'll get better" she said warmly. "I promise you that. No matter the darkness, there is always a spark of hope."

"I know" Rika replied softly. "That spark's all that's kept me going for this long…"

"I have to leave now" the taller girl said. "Gather those you wish to learn of what has transpired. I've got to get back to my other duties. Be strong, Rika-chan. Help is coming."

With that, the girl turned around and walked into a swirling black & violet portal that then closed itself. After a minute of simply standing there, Rika got her shoes back on and headed toward the door.

"Come on, Hanyū" she said. "Let's go get the others."

**CHAPTER END**

The song is "The Curse" by the band Disturbed. I remember the first time I heard it I was in the middle of a Higurashi binge, and it struck me just how well the lyrics fit Rika's situation.

Also: yes, the cloaked girl who helped Rika is the same individual who fought alongside Teana and Negi against Ruin in Book 5.


	2. Sonozaki

Man, you guys do not wanna know the kinda crap I had to go through to get Chapter 1 set up properly. All the shit the site threw at me, making the disclaimers spontaneously disappear when I posted it the first time…

Oh, and uh, in case anyone's wondering? I have an outline planned all the way out to Book 21, and after November 6th I'll start working on Book 22's outline, too. That's how far ahead I have the series planned out.

SEE CHAPTER 1 FOR DISCLAIMERS

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

Rika had gathered quite the entourage when she'd announced that she'd gotten hold of intel on Shion's whereabouts: Keiichi, Mion, Rena, Satoko, Investigator Ōishi (who'd been trying in vain to puzzle out Shion's disappearance), Dr. Irie, Akasaka, Shion's old bodyguard Kasai, Chie-sensei, Elder Kimiyoshi, Mion & Shion's mother Akane, and pretty much the entirety of the Sonozaki Clan council. They'd been a bit skeptical upon learning the exact nature of this data, but seeing Shion step through a rift in space-time had left them open-minded enough to accept it. Thus, everyone had gathered together in the town hall and settled in for the long viewing, watching & learning of various realms' histories, Lanstar's odyssey, and finally Shion's emergence into the picture shortly after the other four newcomers, and her participation in the Battle of Crassus, followed by her being named second-in-command of Gamma Team due to her skills displayed during said campaign.

They continued to watch as things progressed. Shion's training on Shakuras and induction as a Dark Templar; her discovering chakra and learning how to use it; her tearful confessions to her team, including her status as the girl born as Mion and the mix-up when the twins were toddlers (when pressed, Mion shakily confirmed this to the others), and of the Sonozaki Clan's stature toward and method of dealing with twins (which horrified Rika's group), along with the reveal of the Sangheili near-reverence of twins (which disgusted and infuriated most of the Sonozaki Elders, though they kept it quiet); the discovery of Shion's status as a _Jinchūriki_.

The adventures and misadventures at Mahora Academy; the trip to _Mundus Magicus_, and the multiple battles and revelations that happened there; Shion's going 3-Tails alongside an equally-berserk Negi against Fate Averruncus, and later her battle against Averruncus Sextum; the later fight against Averruncus Secundum, where Shion reacted _very _violently to the psychotic warrior's comments (the fact that Shion now took being called a Sonozaki as a grave insult shocked Mion and further angered the Clan Elders, while Satoko responded to the threats against her brother by loudly cheering Shion on in the fight), ultimately losing control and going 4-Tails; the fight against Ruin, with Rika surprised to see that cloaked girl who'd given her this data fighting alongside Negi & Teana, wielding a Keyblade; the time in the Last Precursor's Eternal Garden, the arrival of Satoshi's astral projection (confirming to everyone that he still lived) and his revealing that the Sonozaki Clan were innocent of his ordeals (something that surprised even Mion) and of his current state (though happy her brother was alive, Satoko was not happy to learn he was in a medically-induced coma somewhere); the two confessing to each other; Shion fighting her Heart's Darkness and making peace with the 5-Tails, and the aftermath; the climactic battle against the Lifemaker (including Shion voluntarily entering and controlling her 5-Tailed State, showing she had full control); and the events that followed after on that world and the two next.

The "core group" talked together about what they'd seen long into the night, and the knowledge that Shion might be coming home soon was dominant in their minds. And with what her squad could do… For the first time in ages, Rika had hope.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Two Days Later**

Pelican dropship Echo-419B lazily circled over the village below, drawing attention from the villagers. Teana had told Foehammer that stealth was likely not a concern this time (evidence suggested that the important people here had gotten to see the data files without Gamma's interference, much like Marie's family and Kizuna had), and the experienced pilot took it as a chance to show off a bit for the locals. After completing a lap or two, she picked a park near the center of town and flew in nice and easy, setting her bird down. Nine people stepped out of the dropship – Gamma Team (with Ahsoka clad in her special cloak, as usual), Sarah, Erika, & Timmy. As the Pelican took off again, Shion looked around.

"Not much has changed" she said.

"According to Charon," Marie said, "it's been three months here since you left."

"I wonder how much of a stir it caused…" Teana remarked.

Any other discussion was cut off by the sound of several voices approaching, all of them calling Shion's name. Five figures were visible rapidly approaching – a young man with brown hair, a girl with shoulder-length orange hair, two young girls – one blonde and the other with dark-blue hair –, and a girl in a yellow tank-top, blue jeans, and with her green hair in a ponytail, who was otherwise the spitting image of Shion. The latter girl sped up and proceeded to tackle-hug Shion hard enough to almost knock her over.

"_Shiiiooooon!-!-!-! _Thank God you're okay do you have any idea how worried we've been I'm so sorry sis I can't forgive myself for not knowing how hard it all was for you Please forgive me I didn't mean to-"

"Mii-chan, you're squeezing her too hard!" Rena interrupted as she and the others caught up.

"Huh?" Mion cut her frenzied, one-breath chattering and finally noticed that Shion's face was turning blue. She released her hold and stepped back, and Shion let out a deep, desperate gasp for air.

"S-Sorry" Mion said sheepishly as Shion continued to breathe heavily for several seconds.

"It's okay" the other twin replied as she finally caught her breath.

And then a smaller figure did the same thing Mion had done as she caught up, though Satoko hugged lower (due to her height) and not as hard, so it did little more than knock Shion off-balance a little. Once she quickly realized who was latched onto her, Shion eagerly returned the hug as Satoko held onto her. As the two got reacquainted, Sarah walked up to Mion. The two tall, ponytail-haired, older-sister figures looked at each other for several seconds, not saying anything. Then, Sarah raised her arm and held out her fist. After a few seconds, Mion did the same, and the two bumped fists.

Introductions and welcome-backs gave way to smaller talk (mostly the local group talking about some of the awesome things they saw Gamma Team do), as well as Rika revealing to Teana that the recordings had been given to her by the same mysterious ally who'd fought alongside her and Negi against Ruin. Kasai, Chief Ōishi, and Dr. Irie showed up a couple minutes in, adding to the happy little gathering. Erika and Satoko were already hitting it off together, as were Ahsoka and Keiichi.

"Yeah, Shion's been pretty cool" Teana was saying. "She's a solid second-in-command, she's got a good head on her shoulders, and now that she's mastered the 5-Tails' chakra she's probably the most powerful of us for now. Not to mention that she's got one hell of a nice-"

Teana's sentence was abruptly cut off as she moved faster than the others could track, reappearing with Mirage Longsword raised and blocking the sword strike that had been aimed at Shion's neck. Her _Sharingan _stared into the cold, hateful eyes of Oryō Sonozaki, who hid her shock at being detected and intercepted by a 'child'. The old woman leapt back, and then in a startlingly fast motion she threw a concealed kunai at Shion… only for Mai to intercept it with a thrown kunai of her own, knocking it off-course.

"What the hell is this?-!" Shion shouted as her energy shields activated and enveloped her.

"_Silence!-!_" Oryō screamed with hatred at the girl. "You do not have the right to dare to speak in my presence, filth!"

There was a flare of red chakra in response to that, a raging red aura forming around Mai, who was positively livid at such things being said to her lover; the others weren't exactly happy, either.

"On what grounds do you address her in such a manner?" Kaede asked, her voice deadly calm as she brought out a bone-blade.

"She has rejected, demeaned, and spit upon the Sonozaki name!" the old woman replied. "Insulted the traditions of the clan! Dared to learn the ways of xenos! Made peace with aliens who dare to view _twins _(she said the word like it was the vilest of curses)as sacred! Carried and accepted the power of a demon! And _fell in love _with a member of the accursed Hōjō family! These transgressions are beyond unforgivable! She must _die!-!_"

A flash of red accompanied Teana's Barrier Jacket forming, and she took a stance with a single Mirage Longsword.

"Go ahead and try it, you rancid old bitch" she growled. "_Nobody _harms my team and gets away with it!"

"You will die as well, _off-worlder_" Oryō snarled, saying the last bit with palpable disgust. "Foreigners, off-worlders, and filthy xenos who dare defile this village with your presences… you will share the tainted one's fate."

She then charged, locking blades with Teana. The old woman quickly proved herself to be surprisingly skilled and nimble with her blade; in Teana's opinion, she was around the level of that psycho swordsgirl Tsukuyomi in terms of sword skill (though she almost certainly lacked the massive _ki _attacks and dark spells of the latter). Though how the elder's steel sword wasn't being cleaved through by Teana's blade of superheated energy was a mystery. She focused her _Sharingan _on the old bat's blade, and to her surprise there was chakra streaming through it.

Using the split-second of distraction, Oryō kneed Teana in the gut and flash-stepped around her, charging at Shion only to feint and go for Satoko… and get blindsided by a chakra-charged kick from Erika that sent her tumbling, skidding to a stop several meters away. The cold, angry look on the girl's surprisingly calm face was chilling, especially since most had never seen her in such a way. Chakra flared around her, her green eyes narrowed in barely-restrained disgust and calm fury. Looking at his girlfriend, Timmy remembered the differences between the Swanson siblings' anger:

Marie had a relatively short fuse, but her anger was rarely truly frightening. Sarah didn't actually get angry that often, and when she did it was pretty dang scary. But Erika… Erika almost never got mad; she had a gentle countenance and near-infinite patience. Timmy had only ever seen her truly angry once, when defending a girl even shyer than her from some particularly vicious bullies… and on that day, he had learned that his shy little girlfriend's rarely-seen anger was eerily calm, laser-focused, and _utterly terrifying_. Right now, Erika was only about two-thirds as angry as she was during that incident, and it was _still _enough that the look in her eyes sent a shiver down his spine.

With considerable speed, Erika weaved a pattern of hand-seals, and then thrusted her hands forward, unleashing a trio of water-formed sharks. The _Suikōdan no Jutsu _raced through the air toward Oryō, who narrowly dodged one and cleaved the others in two with her sword. The younger girl flash-stepped forward, appearing directly in front of her foe and lashing out with a punch that rattled Oryō's bones when she barely managed to catch it, and then with a headbutt that sent the evil old woman reeling. Erika had to leap away, however, to dodge the surprise attack from another member of the Sonozaki Clan Council, a man in his early senior years armed with a katana similar to the clan's matriarch. He drew a pistol and fired at her, only for the young girl to summon a three-foot-wide shield spell that deflected the shots.

"_Tsubaki no Mai: Konoha_!" (Dance of the Camellia: Leaf)

Kaede's call preceded her attack as she leapt in, boneblades in hand, unleashing a flurrying combo of sweeping strikes, swings, and stabs with considerable speed, the two Elders working hard to parry or dodge her strikes. They redoubled their efforts to counterattack, forcing Fuyō to break off… just as Teana and Ahsoka, energy blades drawn, rushed in, the former focusing on Oryō while the latter went at the other Elder.

The two most skilled swordswomen of Gamma Team quickly had their opponents on the defensive. It soon became clear that their foes' advanced age was working against them; they were already running out of steam, while the 16-year-old heroines had plenty to spare. Within about a minute, the male elder bugged out, with Oryō following soon after, a barrage of smoke pellets enabling their escape.

"They'll try again" Teana said with certainty. "We need to be ready."

Mion, meanwhile, was so shocked that she couldn't even stand up anymore, much less speak. Her grandmother had completely flipped her lid this time. The things she'd said…

"I believe it would be wise if we slept all in one placetonight, with sentries" Marie said. "The same goes for you guys" she said to Keiichi, Rena, Mion, Satoko, and Rika.

"I…" Mion stammered. "I n-need to speak with my mother. She's never really agreed with the way Shion's been treated over the years. Maybe I c-can get us some help from her and my dad's connections."

With the fight over, everyone congregated together to discuss their next moves.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Next Day**

**9:00 AM**

A knock on the door interrupted the last few minutes of breakfast. Teana walked over and opened the door, finding Officer Akasaka standing there, looking a bit harried.

"Lanstar-san, we've got trouble!" he said. "We're getting reports of shots being fired at the Sonozaki Clan Estate!"

Teana's expression hardened. "Come on in. You can properly inform us all at once."

"Who's here with you?"

"My team, Marie's family & her little sister's boyfriend, Kizuna-kun, Nerine-san, and Keiichi-san & his friends except for Mion-san, who's been missing since yesterday afternoon; the rest are up on the _Starshot_."

She led the man into the old Kimiyoshi Clan estate, as a few people were finishing up breakfast. Notably, two Sangheili – Usze Taham and N'tho Sraom – were present, likely having served as guards the night before while the humans (and Togrutan) slept. They all turned as they noticed the guest.

"What brings you here, Akasaka-san?" Rika asked.

"Shots have been fired at the Sonozaki Clan estate. Evidence suggests that it's members of the clan shooting at _each other_."

What?-!" Shion leapt up from her chair.

Suddenly, the holo-terminal in the center of the main table beeped and flashed with an incoming message. Sarah reached over and hit the button, and a holo-screen showing Colonel Holland appeared.

"_Gamma Team, we've got an interesting development_" he said. "_We've just received contact from Akane Sonozaki. The news is… alarming. Apparently, our arrival has acted as a catalyst for tensions within the Sonozaki Clan to boil over. The clan has split into two factions – the 'Traditionalists', led by Oryō Sonozaki, and the 'Revisionists' led by Akane and her daughter Mion. The two sides have already drawn battle lines and engaged in combat; the Sonozaki Clan has descended into a miniature civil war. We've received reports that the Traditionalists have hired armed mercenaries to bolster their ranks - hired killers, all of them trained and with no compunctions towards killing noncombatants who get caught in the crossfire. We've confirmed the Revisionists are friendly to us, and that the Traditionalists will attack our forces on sight. Miss Akane is requesting assistance; we have a couple of dropships with troops inbound, but you girls are closer to the Clan Estate. Get over there and help them out._"

"Copy that, Colonel" Teana said. "We'll leave immediately. We'll make sure that Revisionist casualties are kept to a minimum."

"_I know you will, Gamma-1. But be careful just the same. Gamma Actual out._"

The transmission ended, and Lanstar immediately began issuing orders. Akasaka, Nerine, and Sraom were assigned to keep guard over Keiichi, Satoko, Rika, and Rena at the house, while everyone else headed out the door and made best speed for the Clan Estate.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

Mion fired the pistol she'd gotten a hold of at the merc rushing at her, but the .30-caliber rounds bounced off the armor he was wearing as he drew his shotgun. Suddenly, there was a whorl of black smoke behind the man, and then a flash of green as an emerald energy blade bisected him mid-chest. As the two halves fell to the ground, her savior ran up to her.

"Are you hurt, sis?" Shion asked.

"Just a couple of scratches" Mion replied.

"…So my actions and reappearance have divided the clan so much that it's resulted in a schism like this…"

"N-No, the tension's been building for a while now! It probably would've happened sooner or later regardless of whether or not you returned."

There was a thud a few meters away as a merc fell off a roof dead, a hole burned through his skull by a particle-beam shot from Mirage Sniper. Several seconds later, Teana leapt down near the twins, clad in her red-and-orange MJOLNIR armor.

"Where are the Revisionists' main leadership?" she asked Mion.

"Holed up in the estate's south plaza," Mion replied, "along with pretty much all of the rest of us. It's a pretty defensible position, but Traditionalists and mercenaries are putting pressure on them."

"Well then, let's give 'em some relief" Teana replied, switching Mirage to Rifle Mode.

The three headed out, quickly meeting up with Kaede, Marie, and Mai.

"Here, sis" Shion said as they moved, handing Mion a UNSC M6C pistol. "It's a .45-caliber, and it has AP rounds loaded. It's got a bit of a kick to it, but it should punch through the mercs' armor better than that piddly little thing you were using before."

"Thanks. Where are the others?"

"Sarah and Kizuna are heading toward the south plaza from the northeast of it" Marie replied. "Ahsoka, Erika, & Timmy entered from the south; they're likely already helping the Revisionists hold the Traditionalists off."

They soon neared the plaza, coming up behind a band of mercs lead by a Traditionalist enforcer. Several rounds from Mirage Rifle cut down the mercenaries, while the Traditionalist was dealt with by Charon's energy-blade mode. Ahead, a quartet of Traditionalists fell victim to their own momentum, their charge carrying them into the _Suiton: Suijinheki _that surged into being around Erika & Tim, the latter of whom then unleashed a _Raiton: Kangekiha _into the water that electrocuted the four hostiles. Ahsoka, meanwhile, used her lightsabers to block a barrage of rounds from a merc's AK-47, giving Mai enough time to get behind the man and deal a blow to his head that put him down for the count.

"_Yōton: Yōkai no Jutsu_!" (Lava Release: Melting Apparition Technique)

An airborne sheet of lava that fell from the air and engulfed a merc, killing him before he could even scream, announced Kizuna's arrival at the battlefield. The melted rock then flash-froze upon hitting the ground, quickly becoming relatively harmless much faster than "normal" lava would. A Traditionalist rushed at him as he landed… and was blindsided by a chakra-supercharged punch from Sarah, who proved she had been taking well to studying the scrolls on Tsunade's _taijutsu _style, the blow shattering half the bones in the man's body and sending him hurtling through the air. She followed up with a _Fūton: Shinkū Taigyoku_, the cannonball of compressed air impacting a particularly large merc with enough force to knock him backward and crack his armor and half of his ribs. In a whirl of motion, she let loose several more attacks, downing mercs with grace and ease, energy shields protecting her from their return fire.

Several pinkish crystalline needles flew in and embedded in a Traditionalist enforcer's torso, going off in a pink explosion that tore him asunder. Yayap leapt down from the nearby roof, flinging a plasma grenade that the mercs frantically dove away from; the blast knocked them over and singed their armor. Then the Phoenix League LAAT dropship finally arrived from the _Starshot_, its blaster cannons forcing the hostiles' heads down as Rex leapt out, twin blaster pistols picking targets and gunning down mercs quickly. A Pelican flew in next, dropping off a group of five ODSTs. However, another, rather large force of mercenaries and Traditionalists was on the way.

"Get to the ships!" Rex shouted to the Revisionists, who obeyed, quickly piling into the two dropships, along with the _Starshot _personnel. Finally, once everyone was aboard, the two ships took off, flying away from the Sonozaki Clan Estate and heading back to the Kimiyoshi Estate to regroup.

A few minutes later, the two VTOL craft touched down, finding the stayed-behind group, Dr. Irie, and pretty much half of the town's police force waiting for them. Wounds were tended to and reports were given, while Akane calmly walked up to Shion and then hugged her like life depended on it; Mion joined in, and soon the twins & their mother found a shady spot to sit down in and help each other process all that had happened so far.

"I've screwed up as a mother for you this far" Akane told Shion. "I couldn't let pass the opportunity to do something right for a change. They were drawing up elaborate plans to assassinate you and your friends. Mion and I sought out those of the clan who rejected such views and got them all together. We announced our intent and stance on things; they responded by declaring every one of us excommunicated from the clan and then trying to kill us."

"I thought Mion was demon-granny's little favorite heir" Shion said, an irrepressible hint of old resentment in her voice.

"Not anymore" Mion replied. "After we made our stance clear, I was the first one she tried to kill. If mom hadn't blocked that strike…"

As the multiple conversations continued, Teana made a call to Holland.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**That Evening**

The rest of the day had been quiet, as the Traditionalists and their mercenaries fortified the Sonozaki Clan Estate, while the _Starshot _had deployed personnel to set up a temporary base in the Kimiyoshi Clan Estate. At the moment, the girls of Gamma along with their "tag-along" people and Keiichi & company were gathered in the main clan building, where a special induction ceremony was taking place.

"You have displayed courage, fortitude, intelligence, wisdom, strength, and skill beyond the norm" Teana spoke. "You have shown how deeply you care for me and those of my team, and how you are willing to do what is necessary to assist and protect us and those whom we care for. Your skills have developed at an astounding rate and will no doubt continue to do so. You have shown tactical prowess worthy of recognition. Thus, in conclusion, the girls and I have agreed that you have what it takes to become one of us.

"Sarah Swanson, welcome to Gamma Team."

The tall blonde shook her redheaded little-sister-figure and now CO's hand, and then saluted, which Lanstar returned.

"I won't let you girls down" she said.

"I know you won't, Seven" Teana replied with certainty and warmth. "Plus… we're kinda too used to you being a big sis for us, Sarah, to have it any other way. I look forward to this."

The other girl's response was to pet Teana on the head, eliciting an annoyed grumble but also a smile.

**-**_**CHAPTER END**_**-**

Next time, revelations come out.


	3. Secrets

SEE CHAPTER 1 FOR DISCLAIMERS

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

The past three days had been a little calmer. The Traditionalists and their mercenaries had fortified the Sonozaki Clan Estates, none of them yet venturing out to attempt to harm their targets… mainly because the Revisionists and their allies had fortified the Kimiyoshi Clan Estate in much the same way. Both sides would occasionally probe the other's defenses, but not much else. One member of the Local Group had decided to take advantage of the lull to reveal something to her friends – both old & new – and had started it off by making a very concerning statement.

"Rika-chan!" Keiichi shouted as he, Mion, Satoko, Rena, and the seven of Gamma Team burst into the room that she was apparently alone in.

"What do you mean that you'll be killed?" asked Rena, concern evident in her voice.

"What did you do to cause this?" Mion asked.

"…Keiichi…" Rika said. "Do you believe that fate can be broken?"

"Of course I do!" he replied.

"…I've never told any of this to you guys until now. I didn't want to get any of you involved in this."

"How can you say such things?-!" Mion interjected.

"Aren't we your friends?" Satoko said.

Rika looked pensive. "All right. Once the others get here, I'll explain everything. The Hinamizawa Syndrome… and how & why my life will soon be in danger."

It wasn't long before the seven girls of Gamma Team arrived, followed shortly afterward by Erika & Timmy, and then…

"Colonel, sir?" Teana expressed with surprise, snapping to a salute that he quickly waved off.

"We felt it would be proper to be here in person for what Miss Furude has to say" Holland replied.

"We?"

As the man walked into the structure, he was quickly followed by a quintet of Sangheili – Yaros Endarl, Usze Taham, N'tho Sraom, Erohn Kilkar, and Shipmaster Zhal Arum. Yayap and Chen brought up the rear. Holo-screens appeared so that Kizuna and the group from Kaede's world could listen in from their current posts elsewhere. Rika took several deep breaths, steeling herself, and began to speak.

"There is a disease unique to this region," Rika explained, "to the town of Hinamizawa. Thus, it is referred to as Hinamizawa Syndrome."

"I've never heard of anything like this" Mion remarked.

"No-one in the village knows" Rika replied. "The disease was discovered during World War 2. One by one, the soldiers from Hinamizawa started to act… strangely. When this disease begins to develop, the afflicted person is possessed by strong paranoia, and begins to see everyone around them as hostile. They fall victim to visual and auditory hallucinations, and start taking terrible violent actions. …In the end, they begin to claw frantically at the area around their lymph nodes in the neck, tearing their own throat open… and dying.

"The work of the doctor who discovered the disease has been passed down since then. According to his research, the entire population of Hinamizawa is infected. But supposedly as long as they remain in the village, the symptoms never develop, and they can live normally. The trigger that initiates the disease is leaving Hinamizawa. When they are burdened by severe stress, they become considerably more susceptible to the paranoia and hallucinations. There are rare cases where the symptoms remiss, but once the disease has taken hold, even if one were to return to the village, they usually would not recover. A cure has yet to be found.

"It seems that the people of Hinamizawa noticed this phenomenon long ago. But the people of the time believe it was a supernatural curse, not a disease. For example, the legend about the _Oni _who appeared from the _Onigafuchi _marsh and attacked people… is possibly referring to an incident in which a large number of villagers fell prey to the disease, and began fighting & killing each other in a violent bloodbath. The folklore where one is cursed for angering Oyashiro-sama, or terrible torture when one disobeys customs, could have been nothing more than an attempt at a preventative measure. By having everyone live in fear of Oyashiro-sama, it prevents feuds and disputes from happening. That way, nobody will be suspicious of each other, nor will they be burdened with stress, thus decreasing the number of people who fall to the disease."

"But why hasn't the disease been publicized?" Keiichi asked.

"One reason is that there is no cure yet," Rika replied, "so announcing it would only cause a huge panic. And… the greater reason is that there are people who plan to harness this disease for biological warfare."

This drew some shock.

"Bioterrorism…" Col. Holland muttered. "If harnessed for warfare, this disease could be worse than that stunt the Insurrectionists pulled on Gravex in 2517…"

"The ones continuing this research are the Irie Clinic" Rika said. "The clinic's real title is the Irie Institution. By researching the Syndrome, they have been secretly developing a bioweapon."

"Wait, Dr. Irie's clinic is a bioweapon research lab?-!" Shion asked with shock.

"Irie and his staff were secretly deployed here as bioweapon researchers" Rika replied.

"Deployed from where?" Sarah asked.

"…On organization called 'Tōkyō'. They are the Irie Institution's sponsors. They are the few active politicians and financial experts from the war generation, along with the children and students of those no longer among the living – a group formed by military personnel and bureaucrats. I don't know much about them, but I do know that there is a power struggle amongst them, as their individual interests have become complexly intertwined. They want a bioweapon, which is, of course, against the UN Biological Weapons Convention Treaty. Thus, it's a top-secret project."

"This is like something Parangosky would pull" Teana murmured, remembering the black-hearted old woman who ran the UNSC's Office of Naval Intelligence.

"However, "Rika continued, "Chief Irie was more passionate about researching a cure than developing a weapon. Thanks to him, patients with heavy symptoms, or "Level 5", can have them suppressed via injection.

"The people of 'Tōkyō' have strong political power. It seems that the Irie Institution is an organization they created through the government and the administration. But there aren't many people who know it even exists. To protect this secret, a special forces unit called the _Yamainu _has been stationed here to guard them."

Rika sighed.

"Hearing all of this so suddenly, I wouldn't blame you if none of you believed me."

"…I do."

Keiichi's statement caught Rika by surprise.

"It's an outrageous revelation, but I believe you."

"I believe it, too" Rena said. "Because I… vaguely remember… When I was away from Hinamizawa, at another school, I became… crazed."

Suddenly, Satoko sat upright, her eyes widened. "Y-You said that Dr. Irie made injections to suppress the disease… The… The shots I've been taking every week…"

"Satoko…" Rika got up and moved over to her friend.

"I…" Satoko was curled up on herself, clutching her head. "I r-remember… I think… I k-k-killed my…"

She began hyperventilating. Rika and Shion both immediately moved to comfort her.

"It's not your fault, Satoko" Rika said. "Nobody who has ever done bad things while in the grips of the Syndrome can be fully blamed for it. You had no control over what your body did or didn't do, so you didn't kill them. The Syndrome killed them, through you, but you yourself did not."

"Wait…" Shion said as her eyes widened in horrified realization. "I remember… back when the Last Precursor had us sucked into that pocket realm… When I met Satoshi's astral projection, he mentioned… that some sort of poison or plague had…"

Rika nodded. "It's almost certain that Satoshi-kun fell victim to the Syndrome, and was placed in a medically-induced coma somewhere, by someone, to keep the disease from forcing him to kill himself. That would fit perfectly with the evidence we've gathered."

"…Rika-chan," Keiichi cut in, "you mentioned that you would be killed soon. How does this information relate to that? Is it because you discovered their secret and they want to silence you?"

"…I mentioned that the trigger for the disease is to leave this village's immediate area. But… that's not entirely correct. …_I _am the one holding the Syndrome back. …If a villager is no longer within a certain distance from me, the Syndrome is triggered. In all ages, this disease had at least one person who was the Queen Carrier. That is the Furude Clan lineage. The Queen Carrier is like a queen bee emitting some chemical pheromone. This serves to suppress the outbreak of the disease in the people nearby. It is possible that the people of Hinamizawa know this instinctively, and thus treat the females of the Furude Clan dearly."

"Wait a second" Keiichi interrupted. "Everyone in the village, including us, is infected, right? …What will happen if you are killed, Rika-chan?"

"…The Syndrome will be triggered in everyone, all at once. And just like the legend of the demons that emerged from the swamp, a horrifying, village-wide killing spree will occur. …I have no idea why anyone would want this to happen. But if there is someone who would benefit from it, then it wouldn't be strange for them to come after me."

Everyone was silent for about a minute. Then, Teana pulled out her card-form Device.

"Cross Mirage, link with the nanites inside my body – the ones that supplement my immune system."

"Yes, ma'am" the A.I. replied.

"What are you doing?" Rena asked.

"If the disease is linked to this village, then…"

Her Device let out a chime. From it projected a holo-screen showing genetic code sampling, along with classification data.

"That's it" Rika said. "That's data on the pathogen that causes Hinamizawa Syndrome."

"The micro-drones' neural net reports detecting and neutralizing specimens of this pathogen shortly after your arrival, Master" Mirage reported.

"It… stopped the Syndrome?" Rika said with genuine shock.

"The nano-scale droids that patrol my body operate with a neural network that loosely links them together to increase processing power and share data" Teana said. "Remember when you showed me data on the species of that one game, Marie? They're kinda like the Geth you mentioned… though they are physically incapable of forming a sapient gestalt consciousness. When something unrecognized enters my bloodstream, they immediately analyze it; if they deem it a threat, they destroy it. This all happens much more quickly and with more accuracy than my natural immune system. They then very carefully analyze the pathogen, storing data on its transmission vector, virility, even its genetic structure. Then they keep that data stored in their collective databank, while also subtly altering my actual immune system to recognize the pathogen as a threat as well. That way, if I'm ever exposed to it again, my system and the nanobots can react quickly & decisively enough to make sure it doesn't affect me."

"So when whatever virus or bacteria or what-have-you that causes the Syndrome made its way into your body a little while after you came here," Keiichi surmised, "those nanobots intercepted it, tore it apart, analyzed it, and updated your system and theirs to leave you essentially immune to it."

"That's pretty much it, yeah."

"Bio-warfare…" Chen S'Yar said with disgust. "There is a reason that the Kig-Yar have forbidden the use of bioweaponry for 1,800 years. Even the Prophets forbade its use; not even the humans were subjected to it during The War."

"Wait…" Yayap said. "What if _we _have it now?-!"

"The disease is only communicable by humans" Cross Mirage reported. "The non-humans of the _Starshot_'s crew are completely immune, as the Syndrome cannot cross the species boundary."

Ahsoka let out a sigh of relief.

"But…" Shion said. "If it's triggered by leaving the village and by stress, why didn't I succumb to it during my travels with Gamma Team?"

"Maybe the Five-Tails' power overrode it," Mion suggested, "or even eliminated it."

"Tailed Beast chakra doesn't react well to foreign presences in its host" Teana said. "That's one reason why _jinchūriki _almost never get sick: the pathogens that cause disease are eradicated before they can take hold. Maybe the _Gobi_'s chakra burns away the Syndrome pathogens in Shion."

"And my healing factor fends off infection and disease" Mai said. "I've never even gotten a cold in my life. Combine that with the fact that I'm a Type-2 _Jinchūriki_, and…"

"But that still means that Kaede, Sarah, and I are almost certainly infected now," Marie said in a low tone, "as are pretty much every other human crewmember and passenger of the _Starshot_."

"All the more reason to assign our best specialists to researching a cure" Zhal finally spoke. "Lanstar, if you would forward the data your Device has on the contagion to the medical specialists aboard the ship, I shall have them begin research immediately."

"Yes, Shipmaster" Teana replied, and with a few holo-button presses and mental commands, the data was sent.

"If they're planning on targeting Miss Furude," Yaros said, "she will need guards to prevent her assassination. …I volunteer."

"Agreed" Col. Holland replied. "You and Kilkar will be her bodyguards until we sort out this mess. In the meantime, I'm going to get together with the _Starshot_'s O.N.I contingent, and have them try and find some information on this 'Tōkyō' organization. Hopefully they'll find something before we end up with a bloodbath."

"For now," Teana said, "while the higher-ups are handling that stuff, we should focus on the Traditionalists and their mercs."

"I happen to have come up with the bare outline of a plan" Erohn replied. "If you would all turn your attention to this datapad…"

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**That Night**

"So why have you called us here again, Rika-san?" Kaede asked. "Have another world-shaking revelation for us?"

"Something like that" the girl replied. With the exception of the ex-Covenant personnel and Col. Holland, everyone from earlier was present again.

"Earlier today, I mentioned how the people of the village have used the name of Oyashiro-sama to strike fear into the hearts of dissidents, to keep control, as well as performing tortures and executions in his name. But did you ever wonder… how Oyashiro-sama actually felt about all the things being done in their name?"

"What do you mean?" Satoko asked. "Do… Do you know, Rika-chan?"

"Yes" Rika replied. "The being that others refer to as Oyashiro-sama… has been a companion of mine since I was five years old."

At this, the Local Group gasped in shock.

"R-Really?-!" Mion shouted. "You're kidding, right?-!"

"No" Rika replied. "And I can tell you that all the things people say they're doing for Oyashiro-sama, the tortures carried out 'in his name'… well, _she _is not in favor of any of it."

"Oyashiro-sama's a _girl_?-!" Rena's exclamation could've awakened the dead.

Rika nodded. "She never wanted any of these terrible things to happen, never wanted people to worship her. She was a demigoddess who sacrificed herself around 1,000 years ago, and was posthumously made an idol by the locals. …I am the first Furude since the 1400s to be able to see & hear her Earth-bound spirit. She's been a trusted friend to me since we met."

Teana activated her _Sharingan_, looking around the room… and her gaze fixed on a spot of empty air behind Rika's right shoulder. Well, empty to most people.

"Hello, 'Oyashiro'" she said.

In her spectral form, Hanyū let out a startled squeak. "_Y-Y-You can see me?-!_"

"Yep" Teana replied. "Though I can only tell what you're saying via lip-reading. Apparently, the _Sharingan _lets me see ghosts but not hear them."

"S-S-She's here right now?" Rena asked, trembling slightly.

"She usually hangs around me" Rika replied.

"Hold on" Marie said. "Is there any way for the rest of us to see her?"

"The same way Negi-kun & Eva-san made it possible for everyone to see & hear Sayo-chan" Mai replied. "Does anyone know that spell?"

"I learned it" Ahsoka said. "I figured it might be useful someday. Seems I was right…"

The Togrutan teen began focusing her energy, channeling mana and the Force as she closed her eyes in concentrative meditation. Rika added her own mental energy to the equation, and several seconds later there was a pulse that radiated throughout the room.

Within several seconds, a figure faded into view directly behind Rika. She was short, looked to be in her early teens, with light-purple hair, wide purple eyes, and two large, dark, downward-curving horns. Slightly pointed ears, like a _shinzoku_'s, poked out through her hair. She was clad in a white and red shrine-maiden outfit, with red detached sleeves. She was transparent, but definitely visible.

"U-Um…" the ghost-girl stammered.

"Oh, by the way," Rika said, "Oyashiro isn't her real name. Everyone, say hello to Hanyū."

"P-Pleased to finally meet you all" Hanyū said as she bowed. "Well, actually I already know plenty about you guys. I hang around Rika-chan most of the time, so I've gotten to know you all as well as she does, pretty much. I've… I've wanted to be part of the group for quite some time, but I'd given up on ever being able to… Auuu~"

"…She's…" Satoko started.

"…so…" Mion continued.

"…cute~" Rena finished. "W-Why is the being I've lived in fear of so adorable?"

"I hate that people live in fear of me, invoke my name to do horrible things to each other…" Hanyū was sulking. Rena felt rather guilty.

"So does this make the villagers' fear-worship an analogue to the Great Journey?" Marie said with a hint of snark.

"I'd say she's much cuter than what images of Forerunners we've seen" Teana replied.

"You've been there for Rika-chan after her parents were killed, right?" Mion asked.

"Yeah" Rika replied. "Hanyū pretty much raised me."

"Then I'm happy to consider you a friend, Hanyū-san."

The ghost-girl in questioned smiled, a few unshed tears forming. "T-Thank you…"

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Two Days Later**

The Traditionalists and their mercenaries had fortified the Sonozaki Clan Estate thoroughly. Sentries and guards patrolled the perimeters and the inner areas of the compounds, as the Traditionalists' leadership – Oryō and the councilors loyal to her cause – continued to brainstorm, trying to think of a way to go up against the juggernaut that was the _Starshot_'s military contingent without getting brutally slaughtered. They had people and cameras watching the sky, posted at every above-ground entrance to the estate, and the mercs' impromptu barracks were halfway between the center and the outer edges of the compound, to allow fast response to attacks from the outer walls or an air drop into the center of the Estate.

Too bad for them that there was a network of tunnels inside the mountain that the Estate was built into the side of, and Shion knew the tunnels by heart.

Over the course of about an hour, a substantial strike force was moved through the tunnels and into the estate's caverns, avoiding detection as they gathered near the entrances to the surface inside the compound. Cloaked Sangheili Spec-Ops soldiers were sent out above-ground to assassinate key guards and sent updated data back to the waiting force on enemy troop positions. Everyone made ready, ensuring that their armor and shields checked out and that their weapons were loaded and ready.

Finally, the signals came from the outside observers. The assault team made ready.

"Everyone all set?" Rex said. "Alright, folks, let's do this!"

As one, the multiple teams rushed through the openings and into the compound (Teana swore she heard Marie shouting a loud, long, drawn-out "LEEROOOOYYY… JEEEENKIIIIINS!-!-!" as she charged), catching the few merc forces near the exits from behind and totally off-guard. Weapons fire – most of allied – rang out as the surprise attack began.

Needless to say, "it didn't go well for the Traditionalists" would be a bit of an understatement.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Next Day**

(AN: Yeah, sorry. My options were either skip the battle and get this chapter done quickly, or chisel through the super-sized writer's block and take over a week extra just to write the damn battle out)

The fight had been over pretty quickly. Caught off-guard and with a significant amount of their hired muscle killed, the Traditionalists and their surviving mercs had beat a hasty retreat, fighting through or sneaking around the _Starshot_/Revisionist personnel and fleeing the village, retreating to parts unknown. The Revisionists quickly claimed (or reclaimed) the Sonozaki Clan Estate, and continued making it abundantly clear they were on Shion & company's side. Once things were explained to the townsfolk, it actually didn't take too long for things to start getting back to normal.

The town's public pool had been rented out for a handful of hours. The seven girls of Gamma, the "Local Group" of Keiichi, Mion, Rena, Satoko and Rika, Kizuna, and the group from Kaede's Earth were living it up; Erika was elsewhere (being stuck in diapers precluded her from joining in the swim, so she chose to help secure the town's borders rather than be stuck on the sidelines of the pool and let jealousy develop), with Timmy & Hanyū accompanying her (because he'd never leave his girlfriend to sulk alone, and ghosts can't really enjoy swimming).

Teana and Marie were torn. Their eyes kept on shifting, as they couldn't decide whether to stare more at Keiichi & Rin's bare, lean-muscled chests or at Kaede, Mion, Nerine, & Shion's magnificent, bikini-clad bodies. The two girls' faces were equally red as they feasted on all the both-genders eye candy made available to them. And then Kaede caught them staring at her at the same time… and struck a pose, sticking her shapely butt in their direction while turning her upper torso around enough to flaunt her breasts at them. At the same time, in the same field of vision and a few meters behind Kaede, Keiichi stretched a kink out of his back, unintentionally showing off his own well-chiseled upper body.

Tia & Marie's faces went even redder as their jaws dropped just a little, and they both – without tearing their eyes away from the heavenly scene – bumped fists with each other. …Had Subaru been here and adding to it, Teana probably would've passed out from the sheer overload of sexy magnificence.

"I love pool parties" the two girls said in unison.

**-**_**CHAPTER END**_**-**

Next time, one good Hōjō and one bad'un; plus, Rika drops yet another bombshell on her friends.


	4. Awaken

SEE CHAPTER 1 FOR DISCLAIMERS

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

**Three days after the Revisionists reclaimed the Sonozaki Clan Estate**

Rika sighed as she and the O.N.I. operative seated next to her finished their explanation. She'd called over Akasaka, Dr. Irie, and Detective Ōishi, and had gone over everything known about Hinamizawa Syndrome and the 'Tōkyō' organization, with Dr. Irie validating and adding to Rika's explanation of the Syndrome (along with the ONI operative showing the data on the pathogen responsible), while the sparse bits of data the ONI field agents and ciphers had found on the organization added to Rika's explanation of the shadowy group. The revelation that the organization he worked for actually planned to cultivate and _weaponize _the disease he was working to cure threw Irie for a loop.

"You three listen up" Rika said, slipping into her 'adult' tone. "You cannot tell _anyone _about this who doesn't already know. Not your friends, not your family, not your coworkers, not your superiors… _Anyone _could be on Tōkyō's payroll. Only discuss it with members of the _Starshot_'s crew or people cleared by the Colonel or the Shipmaster. Everyone else is not to be trusted on this matter. Am I understood?"

"Yes, ma'am" the three chorused.

Suddenly, the ONI operative's datapad beeped. He read through the contents of what he'd received, and then turned to the group.

"They're still analyzing the pathogen's genetic code. They've found something: the Queen Carrier theory is false."

"What?-!" Rika shouted.

"Apparently, severe stress is the _only _trigger for the Syndrome. Distance from you is not a trigger, nor is your death. Dr. Hifumi Takano's theories and observations weren't entirely correct… though he did get most everything else right – transmission vectors, source, effects, stages of progression…"

"…How close are you guys to developing a cure?"

"We've hit a few snags, it sounds like" the operative replied. "This is a particularly virulent and adaptable pathogen. It'll take something complex to make a foolproof cure without potentially life-threatening side effects. …Dr. Irie, could you perhaps share your own data on the progression towards a cure with our specialists? Maybe you and they can come up with something together."

"S-Sure" the doctor replied, still a little in shock from everything that had been revealed to him. "Of course."

"There's a problem, though" Akasaka said. "_We _know that Rika-chan is not necessary to keep the villagers from succumbing en masse, but our enemy _doesn't _know that. They'll likely try to kill her when their plan begins its implementation."

"I'm assuming that posting officers to safeguard Rika-chan would not be a good idea" Ōishi said.

"Correct" Rika replied. "In addition to the fact that our enemy may be better equipped than police officers for a small town, some of your coworkers or subordinates may or may not be double agents in Tōkyō's employ. It would be too much of a risk. Besides, the personnel of the _Starshot _will be more than adequate for my protection."

"With that settled, there's one last thing I need to do" Dr. Irie said.

"What would that be?" Akasaka asked.

"…Inform you guys and the _Starshot _group that I know where Satoshi-kun is."

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Next Day**

Miyo Takano was not exactly happy. That Irie had revealed the boy's situation and location to his friends and those newcomers wasn't _too _much of a bother, to be honest. What irked her was that right now four of them were doing the impossible: they were somehow _purging _the Syndrome from his body! Granted, according to them the method they were using was much too unfeasible to use for the whole village, but the fact remained that if they somehow found a way to create a cure viable for the entire town population, then she would lose all chances to validate her grandfather's research!

Inside the hospital room tucked into the 'corner' of the Irie Clinic basement, the girls were hard at work, and had been for the past few hours. Mai and Kaede used their medical _ninjutsu _with utmost precision and carefulness, repairing any damage they found (by some miracle, his brain had either recovered or was never damaged by the Syndrome in the first place) and killing any pathogen clusters they detected as Ahsoka ran a current of the Light Side of the Force through him to keep him stable and assist the nanites donated from Teana's blood in purging every last individual microbe of the town's infamous contagion from Satoshi's unconscious body (they had needed to remove the medications & machinery keeping him artificially comatose, as it would've interfered with their delicate work; they kept him slumbering with a basic sleep spell). Ahsoka & Mai also focused on strengthening Satoshi's atrophied muscles, undoing the damage that nearly a year of no use had done. They were tired, they were starting to run low on energy reserves, and they were _not _going to give up even if it resulted in them getting their own hospital stays afterwards.

Bit by bit, the Syndrome was being purged from Satoshi's body. It was a long, delicate, tiresome process, but it was working. Unfortunately, while Teana's nanites could construct more of themselves, it would take a while for the population in her blood to build back up to what it was before the 'donation', so she wouldn't be able to do this kind of thing again for quite a while. Kaede was already running quite low on chakra; Mai, being a Type-2 _Jinchūriki_, still had around 68% left, but this process needed both girls to work. Ahsoka was feeling the strain as well, and even Teana had donated a portion of her chakra and mana to 'kick-start' Satoshi's systems in preparation for his eventual awakening.

They were tired. But they were not going to give up, no matter what. They could do this. Shion, Satoko, Sarah, and Marie waited outside the room, with the others upstairs in the main lobby.

Slowly, like the last few drops of water after a tap is turned off, the last bits of the pathogen were finally excised or destroyed. After nearly five hours of work, Satoshi's body was clean. With one final push, Mai & Kaede sent a last revitalizing pulse of healing chakra into his system. Kaede's head spun in the aftermath, but she fought to remain upright with the rest of the girls. Mai ran a diagnostic jutsu on Satoshi.

"We did it" she said breathlessly. "We've done it. He's clean. The Syndrome's been completely purged from Satoshi-kun's body."

Ahsoka gave a tired sigh of relief. "Thank goodness that's over with."

"Good job, girls" Teana said, a proud smile on her face. "Good job."

Mai's communicator beeped, and she activated it.

"_What was that pulse I just felt?_" Shion asked over the comm., her voice toned with concern.

"We've done it, Shion" Mai replied. "We've succeeded. Satoshi-kun is gonna be alright."

There was a sigh of relief that transitioned into a light sob. "_T-Thank God… Mai, thank you so much…_"

"_How are you guys doing?_" Sarah asked.

"Exhausted, but I think we're fine otherwise" Mai replied.

"Just give us a few minutes to finish up" Teana added. "Then you can come in."

There was a soft groan from the bed that the girls stood around. The sheets shifted as limbs slowly moved for the first time in nearly a year. Ahsoka telekinetically dimmed the overhead light, just in time for a pair of red eyes to slowly open. He turned his head slowly to the left, red eyes meeting blue ones. He quickly recognized the figure he'd seen during his out-of-body experiences.

"Nice to finally meet you in person, Lanstar-san" Satoshi said with a small smile, his voice quiet but steady.

"Same to you, man" Teana replied.

He looked around at the others – the young Jedi Ahsoka, Shion's other love Mai, and Kaede who presently looked paler than he remembered, and seemed to be breathing kinda hard.

"Tano-san, Kitagawa-san, Fuyō-san… I'm assuming I have you four to thank for returning me to the land of the living."

"Uh-huh" Mai replied. "Five hours of work purging the Syndrome's pathogens from your body. …We'll explain to you what the Syndrome in question _is _once you've recovered a bit more."

"So it was a disease that got me, not a poison or something?"

"Yeah" Ahsoka replied. "A particularly nasty one native to this particular region of Japan. There's technically no cure yet; we had to spend all that time doing things the hard way, using medical ninjutsu, the Force, and Teana's germ-killing nanites to fix you up."

"Well then, I am in your debt, girls."

He slowly sat up for the first time in what felt like forever, stretching his upper-body muscles.

"…Shion told you about her encounter with my astral form, right?"

As the others gradually got into a friendly conversation with the newly-awakened Satoshi, Kaede found their voices growing muffled, and her eyesight beginning to blur and darken as an unnatural tiredness crept over her. She fought it, her head bobbing lightly as she struggled to stay awake and alert.

"…And it's nice to know that Shion's been in such good hands all this time."

*THUD*

Their attention was drawn to Kaede as she collapsed, her head bouncing off the bed as she fell to the floor.

"Kaede?" Ahsoka asked, worry in her voice.

No response.

"Kaede!" Teana called out. "Kaede, can you hear me?-! _Kaede!-!_"

The door was nearly ripped off its hinges as Marie barged in, having heard her girlfriend's name being called in such a tone. Her eyes immediately fell to the orange-haired girl lying still on the floor, and she immediately rushed to her, kneeling at her side.

"Kaede!-! Hey, what's wrong?-! Kaede?-!"

As Shion, Satoko, and Sarah rushed in and quickly noticed that A) Satoshi was up, and B) Kaede was down, Mai immediately ran a diagnostic jutsu on her; the fallen girl was pale and shaking, her body temperature high and her breathing short, quick, and ragged.

"What's wrong with her?" Satoshi near-shouted, concern evident in his voice.

"Chakra exhaustion" Mai replied, sounding worried. "And it's bad. She used _way _too much chakra healing Satoshi-kun. Her healing factor's been slowed to almost a dead stop, she's so low."

"Oh God…" Marie whispered/whimpered. "Y-Y-You can help her, right? Please tell me you can!"

"We need to get her up to the _Starshot _ASAP" Mai replied.

"Damnit, I screwed up again" Teana said, sounding quite upset. "I should've taken the size of her reserves into account – had her take a couple of soldier pills or something! Saint, this can't be happening… I fucked up again…"

"I…" Satoshi's voice was quiet and worried. "I didn't want someone else to put themselves at such risk bringing me back…"

At this point, Dr. Irie and a few other doctors & nurses barged in. He immediately took stock of the situation.

"What happened?" he asked in his rarely-heard, deadly-serious doctor tone of voice.

"Call the ship, _now_!" was Teana's response. "Tell them we need a MEDEVAC immediately!"

"Yoshino, get on it!" Irie shouted to one of the doctors, who scrambled out of the room to do so. He then rushed to Kaede's side, checking her vitals.

"Her pulse is weak and erratic, and she's having trouble breathing" he thought aloud. "She's running a bad fever, too. What the hell caused this?"

"Chakra exhaustion" Ahsoka replied. "Severe"

At this, Irie remembered the footage from the data – Tsunade going comatose, Kimimaro and Itachi dying. Now he realized how serious the situation was.

"Takano!" he shouted to the nurse outside. "Oxygen! _Now!_"

Within seconds, the blonde ran in, carrying an oxygen supply and mask. Expecting it to be for Satoshi, she was shocked to see the orange-haired girl on the floor struggling to breathe. Nonetheless, as a professional she immediately pushed past the shock and handed the supplies to Irie, who fit the mask over Kaede's face and set the oxygen flowing.

"We need to get her topside for the evac bird to pick her up" Teana said. "Unless you wanna try fitting a Pelican down here."

"Okay" Irie replied. "Swanson, Terata, help me move her! Tano, Takano, clear a path!"

"I'll help, too."

Everyone looked up in surprise. During the chaos, while everyone's attention was focused on Kaede, Satoshi had somehow gotten out of the bed and was now bracing himself against the wall near the door, standing on wobbly legs, still clad in the hospital top & pants he'd spent the last long while in.

"_Nii-nii_…" Satoko murmured, a bit shocked that her brother was already up & about.

"She wound up like this helping me…" he said. "This is partly my responsibility. I owe it to her."

"Satoshi-kun…" Dr. Irie said. "I appreciate the concern, but you're in no shape to-"

"I will not just sit around and watch while one of the people who saved my life might be _dying_!-!"

The boy's sudden outburst caught the group by surprise. After several seconds, Irie nodded.

"Alright. Help Ahsoka-chan and Takano-san clear a path."

"Can you walk alright, Satoshi?" Shion asked as she walked up to him.

"Not sure" he replied. "It's been a while since this body's moved around. I can tell the girls fixed up any muscle atrophy, but I'm still unsteady."

"I'll help you" she said, preparing to drape his arm over her shoulders.

"Just be ready to catch me if I start to fall over" he replied with a slight grin.

In less than a minute, they were ready – Shion, Satoshi, Ahsoka, and Miyo led the way, getting people and objects out of the way as Dr. Irie, Sarah, and Dr. Terata carried the unconscious Kaede, Mai holding the oxygen tank as she walked alongside them, with Teana, Satoko, and Marie bringing up the rear. They soon reached the stairs and up to the main floor, where Keiichi, Mion, Rena, Rika (& Hanyū), Veronica, Erika, & Tim were waiting. They were surprised to see Satoshi walking out first, already getting re-used to walking, with Shion and Ahsoka close behind, all three of them looking frantic.

"What's going on?" Mion asked.

"Kaede's collapsed from chakra exhaustion" Ahsoka replied. "It's bad – _real _bad."

Seconds after she said that, a D77H-TCI dropship with a Red Cross on the side touched down right outside, UNSC medical technicians hopping out. Then the rest of the group came up the stairs, overall a very worrying scene. Another Pelican, this one a pure transport variant, touched down nearby soon after. The team carrying Kaede piled into the MEDEVAC dropship, along with Shion, Satoshi, and Satoko. Everyone else (barring Drs. Takano and Yoshino) quickly climbed aboard the transport Pelican, Teana and Veronica trying to keep Marie calm. Both dropships then took off, the MEDEVAC speeding towards the _Starshot_ hovering in/above a nearby valley just outside of town, the transport following at a somewhat lesser speed.

Aboard the vessel, the six Konohagakure medical shinobi who'd volunteered to join the ships' travels were notified of the incoming case of severe chakra exhaustion. They leapt into action, operating like a well-oiled machine as they prepared for triage.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**A Few Hours Later**

The medbay's waiting room was packed. Even from the other end of the ship, Rin, Asa, Ama, Primula, Nerine, & Lisianthus had come running when they heard what had happened. Mai, who still had around 60% of her chakra reserves left thanks to their massive size due to her status as a Type-2 _Jinchūriki_, was assisting the medical shinobi in the emergency room; the rest of Gamma Team were in the lobby, all of them worried but none more than Marie, who was borderline panicking, her mother and sisters trying desperately to keep her from breaking down. Kizuna and Timmy sat on one side of Shion, Satoshi and Satoko on the other. Keiichi, Mion, Rena, Rika, and Hanyū were there as well. Dr. Irie and the members of his team who accompanied him were in the emergency room with the medical shinobi and Mai, helping however they could.

"I never saw it playing out like this" Shion said. "I imagined it would go like… you'd wake up, they'd let me into the room, I'd hug you as tight as I could while crying in joy, we'd kiss… …And now one of my teammates is in the emergency room."

"This happened to her because she spent so much chakra helping me" Satoshi said. "I can't help but feel that I'm partially at fault."

Shion could think of nothing to say; she merely leaned against him as he had his arm around her shoulders.

"Damn it" Teana whispered, her voice pained, her eyes clenched shut tightly. "Why didn't she let us know she was running on empty? Why didn't I take this possibility into account and take measures to prevent it?"

"You're not omnipotent" Mion replied, placing a hand on the redhead's shoulders. "Everyone makes mistakes."

"But most people's mistakes don't get other people killed. …This is just like when the Lifemaker broke out. Every time I fuck up, people suffer for it."

The door to the ER suddenly opened, and an exhausted-looking Dr. Irie walked out. Everyone's heads turned to face him.

"Kaede-chan is stable" he said breathlessly. "She's gonna be alright."

Various expressions of relief filled the room; Marie practically went limp as the tension left her.

"It was touch-and-go for a bit" a medical shinobi said as he entered the room. "Her chakra reserves were down to 7 percent; she almost slipped into a coma. We've got her built up to 18% now; she's resting. …Better inform the mess hall's cooks they're gonna have their hands full; she'll need to eat a _lot _over the next few days to replenish her chakra."

"May we see her?" Shion asked.

"Sure" Irie replied. "Not everyone at once, though; the room we have her in is big, but not _that _big."

The other girls of Gamma Team headed in, along with Sia, Primula, Mion, and the Hōjō siblings. Rin and Asa both tried to follow, but Nerine stopped them. "Kaede-chan still hates the two of you. I know it hurts to hear that, but… It'd probably be unwise to have either of you present when she wakes up."

The group entered the room to find Kaede sleeping peacefully on the bed, a sheet covering her up to her neck, a very tired-looking Mai seated on a chair nearby. Marie quietly walked up, kneeling down at Kaede's side and grasping her hand. As if in response, Kaede stirred and her eyes opened.

"Hey, Marie" she murmured weakly, a little smile on her face. In response, the other girl latched onto her in a hug, crying softly.

"A few hours ago, our positions were reversed" Satoshi joked as he stood at the bedside.

"Yeah…" Kaede replied. "This is the second time I've woken up in this bed. What put me here this time?"

"Severe chakra exhaustion" Shion replied. "You know the official estimations – 30% and it's officially-recognized chakra exhaustion, half that and tissues & systems start to break down? You were down to 7%. You almost died."

"Why didn't you let me know you were running low?" Teana asked in an 'angry/worried parent' tone.

"I was too focused on the task at hand" Kaede replied. "I… wasn't really paying attention to my own body because I was too focused in repairing Satoshi-kun's."

"That's a dangerous mistake for a medic-nin to make" the medical shinobi said. "During Pain's attack of the village, I actually saw a rookie medic-nin _kill _himself that way trying to heal people. Granted, the _Rinne Tensei no Jutsu _brought him back, but… Anyway, once you've recovered my colleagues & I are going to teach you how to be more aware of your chakra levels while on the job – this is non-negotiable."

"Yes, sir"

"…I should've noticed…" Teana said, her head hung low. "I should've made sure you knew how to pace yourself before letting you assist in the procedure. I should've been more alert, noticed you were running on fumes, I…"

"Hey" Sarah interrupted, pulling the shorter girl into a hug. "None of that, honey."

"But it's true!" she replied. "I almost got a member of my team killed!"

With some effort, Kaede sat up and joined the hug.

"Please don't, Teana" she said. "It's not your fault. I swear that to you. It was my mistake. Please stop blaming yourself. I'm okay now. It's over."

The other four girls of Gamma came together around them, making a seven-girl group hug. After several seconds, Kaede's stomach growled, causing the girl in question to blush lightly.

"Well, the doc _did _say you're gonna have to eat a lot of food to replenish your chakra" Ahsoka said.

"…I'm gonna get fat, aren't I?"

"Nope" the medic-nin replied. "Nearly all of the food's energy will be converted into chakra; there won't be enough left to go toward fat buildup. …Of course, once your reserves have recovered, that'll stop, I'm afraid."

"How long am I gonna be out of commission?" she asked.

"Your healing factor stopped when your reserves dipped below 10%" Mai replied. "It's back now, though it's slow. As your chakra recovers, your healing factor will pick up speed again and hurry your recovery along further. You'll probably be able to be up & about by late tomorrow morning, I'd guess."

"Can I sleep in my own bed in my quarters tonight, at least?"

"I don't see why not" the medic-nin replied. "Just don't use any chakra for several days."

"I'll go get you some food" Mion said.

"Could you maybe bring me something too, please?" Satoshi asked. "Technically, I haven't eaten in nearly a year."

"Right, right. Be back in a bit."

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Two Days Later**

Sure enough, Kaede was now able to walk around and participate in normal day-to-day activities, though she would still be a little low on stamina and easily tired for a few more days. Even with the scare past, Marie and Teana were still fussing over her a little, though it didn't really bother her yet.

Satoshi had quickly caught up on everything – first getting to properly view the databox that Rika was given, and then being told of more recent developments on this world. The revelation that the Sonozaki Clan had recently split in two in a violent civil war was a shock to him; the fact that the 'friendly' side had won (for now) was better news. And, as Rena and Mion had predicted, Satoshi and Keiichi practically became best buds in no time flat.

Right now, Satoko, Erika, and Rika were out for a casual stroll along the village outskirts, admiring the scenery (Erika kept habitually checking that her knee-length skirt was still in place; Satoko & Rika thus kept having to remind her that they knew about and accepted her issue already). Satoko ran ahead, chasing a hummingbird, leaving the other two alone.

"A-After all she's been through, and yet she's s-still so carefree and happy…" Erika thought aloud.

"That's what I love about her" Rika replied. "I've… been through a lot in my life. The light of her smile helps guide me through the darkness of bad memories."

"She's g-good at traps, too" Erika said. "I've seen her handiwork."

"She's… had a lot of practice."

Suddenly, Satoko came running out from around the bushes and trees she'd passed, a look of panicking terror on her face. She reached the other two girls and hid behind them, trembling. A second later, Rika found out why.

"Oi, Satoko! Don't try to run from _me_, you little… Who are you brats?"

The man was tall, with beady red eyes and short, slicked-back blond hair, and a muscled body with more than a bit of a gut, wearing a red Hawaiian shirt and tan slacks. A nasty look on his face completed the package.

"W-Who is that?" Erika asked.

"Teppei Hōjō" Rika replied in her adult voice. "Satoko's uncle."

At this, Erika's eyes widened in recognition as she remembered the things others had told her about this man. Her expression changed, the nervousness leaving her eyes as her innate shyness around a new person disappeared. A dangerous, angry frown formed on her face, her green eyes looking at the man with disgust and anger.

"I see" she said in a low, dangerous tone. The air immediately surrounding her wavered slightly as her chakra began to flow, her expression hardening. Rika and Satoko found themselves hiding behind her.

"Who the hell are you," Teppei asked, "thinking you can protect them from me?"

In response, Erika's ki/chakra flared, a faintly visible aura accompanying the hard ground beneath her feet cracking a little. The man's eyes widened in surprise.

"Their friend" she replied with a growl. "And I have been informed quite well on what you have done to Satoko in the past. …I _will not _allow you to touch even a hair on either of their heads."

She slowly took a step forward, then another, fists clenched as she glared daggers at the man. Teppei fought the urge to instinctively take a step back from the girl. Deciding that his usual intimidation tactics might not work, he started running at her. Unfortunately for him, this didn't scare Erika either. She ducked under a backhand and hit him with an uppercut to the stomach, causing him to double over at the force behind the blow. In a blur of motion, she braced her hands on the ground, coiled up, and struck. To Teppei, everything seemed to move in slow-motion as it came.

'…Is that a dia-'

*POW!*

Her rising spring-kick slammed into his jaw, sending him up a couple inches off the ground. He landed flat on his back as Erika righted herself, taking a stance and waiting for the next move. Teppei rubbed his aching jaw as he sprung to his feet, now knowing not to underestimate this kid.

"Is this man giving you trouble, girls?"

Everyone's attention was caught as a man who looked to be in his 50s strolled up, his uniform impeccably trim as ever. When he caught a good look at Teppei, his expression went much the same as Erika's had.

"You…" Col. Holland said. He then looked to Erika. "Could I have a crack at him?"

"…By all means, Colonel."

Holland cracked his knuckles as he advanced on Teppei, Erika stepping to the side.

"What?" Teppei sneered. "You want some, too?"

"You could say that" the other man replied.

By the time the ensuing 'fight' (if one could call the one-sided curb-stomp a fight) was finished, Satoko could do little more than stare at the totally unharmed Col. Holland with awe and reverence as he casually smoothed out a few wrinkles in his uniform. As she saw her battered & beaten evil uncle limping away as fast as he could, she caught sight of Erika giving her a thumbs-up, and shakily returned it.

"How did that happen?" she whispered.

"One's a thug who's won a few bar fights and is used to abusing children and those weaker than him who can't fight back," Rika replied, "and the other's a trained military officer with formal combat training and a couple decades of active service under his belt. …It was still one of the coolest things I've ever seen."

Erika cleared her throat.

"I am, of course, including your contributions in saying that, Erika-san."

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Next Day – 7:30 PM**

"So what big revelation do you have for us this time, Rika-chan?"

Keiichi's half-joking question cut the tension a little. Rika had gathered everyone in the "explanation room" yet again. She looked around at the gathered group – Mion, Shion, Rena, Keiichi, Satoshi, Satoko, the ghostly form of Hanyū, the girls of Gamma Team, Erika & Timmy, and Akasaka. She sighed deeply.

"Have any of you ever noticed" she began, still using her 'little-girl' voice "that I occasionally act in ways… different… than normal?"

"Yeah" Mion replied. "You'll get all serious and quiet, and I could almost swear your voice deepens a little. But whenever any of us try to bring it up, you laugh and brush it off."

"…I've come to trust you all more than you can fathom. Thus… I feel it's time for me to reveal one last secret."

"Rika, are you sure?" Hanyū asked.

"Yes" Rika replied. "I will now tell you all…" her voice switched to her 'adult' tone mid-word "about the long, painful road I have walked."

This time, none of them could deny, ignore, or rationalize the drastic change in her tone. Their attention was now wholly focused on their friend who always seemed to be full of surprises.

"…Imagine, if you will, a world where Keiichi learns about 'Oyashiro-sama's curse' – the twisted lie that the village public believes, not the truth that you all now know. On the night of the festival, Tomitake-san and Takano-san are murdered, and on the next day Ōishi-san contacts Keiichi at school, dispensing some information to Keiichi that he really shouldn't know, leading him to become suspicious of us. This suspicion awakens his Hinamizawa Syndrome, becoming severe paranoia that worsens as his mind unravels. …In the end, Mion and Rena are dead, beaten to death with a baseball bat by Keiichi while in the grips of the Syndrome. Soon after, while making a frantic call to Ōishi, he succumbs completely, clawing his own throat out and dying."

She looked around at the various expressions of the group. "…Sound familiar?"

Keiichi has gone pale, his fists clenched. "H-How did you know about that nightmare?"

"It wasn't a nightmare" Rika replied. "…Have any of you heard of the phenomenon of alternate timelines?"

"Wait…" Teana said. "You're saying… that actually happened in another timeline?"

"That is what I'm saying."

Rika then launched into a long, horrifying cavalcade of horror stories, in gruesome detail – Rena falling victim after killing Teppei and his partner while trying to protect her father, Shion losing her sanity and being overtaken by her Heart's Darkness, going on a rampage that leaves nearly a dozen dead, Satoko killing Keiichi and then witnessing the deaths of the entire village, and many other nightmarish scenarios.

"Please stop…" Mion murmured, one hand clutching at her head. "I… I don't wanna hear anymore!"

"My God…" Satoshi's eyes were wide as he held and comforted Shion, who was presently beyond horrified at learning what another her had done. "All of this… happened?"

"In a sense, yes" Rika replied.

"So… Can you see alternate timelines through some sort of ritual spell?" Sarah asked.

"…No" Rika replied. "The reason I know all these things… the reason I often seem to know things will happen ahead of time… the reason I have to hide behind a mask of childish innocence… is because I have experienced them all first-hand many times. Whenever I am killed – which happens in every one of these twisted other realms – time is reset, with my memories intact. …Hanyū & I have been repeating the last few months for a very, very long time."

"…How long have you two been suffering through this?" Akasaka asked.

Rika let out a ragged breath. When her eyes opened, there was no childhood in them. There was an old soul, filled with anguish and despair.

"Around 214 years."

Everyone gasped in shock.

"I've… had to watch my closest friends be killed – usually by each other – over and over and over again. Time and again, I've tried to find a way to break the cycle, to avoid my own brutal death, to get everyone out alive… and I've _failed_. I'm… so damned tired of it all. I… I can't take this much longer. I'm… I'm so _fucking _sick of being unable to save any of you! I can't take this anymore! I want everyone to live! I…"

She curled up in a ball, slowly losing the fight to hold back tears.

"Please…" she whimpered. "Just make it stop. One way or another. I can't take it anymore. I just want this to be over… Every time I look at any of you, I have to fight from seeing flashes of images of you lying broken, bloodied, cold and still…. I haven't slept without a nightmare in over 200 years… I d-don't think my heart can take being broken any more… Please… I beg of you… Make it stop… Make it all stop…"

Within seconds, Rika found herself being unexpectedly hugged by Satoko, Keiichi, Mion, and Erika. She let out a gasp in surprise.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner that you were hurting?" Satoko asked, her tone soft.

"I was s-scared" Rika whispered. "Scared of what you'd all think of me, that I've l-lived behind a mask for so long, not letting you know the real me. And I was scared that you w-wouldn't believe me…"

"Nothing will ever change the fact that you are one of our precious friends" Keiichi replied. "When a friend is suffering, we don't judge them. We do everything & anything to help them however we can. …Having known us so long, you should know that by now, Rika-chan."

"I swear to you" Mion said. "We will do whatever it takes. …You've been through more pain than any little girl should even consider possible. We'll put a stop to it. I promise."

"No matter what happens…" Erika started.

"…we'll find a way to make things right" Satoshi finished as he placed his hand on Rika's head.

"We'll take this dark cycle," Teana said with conviction, "and break it into a billion pieces, freeing every last soul that is trapped in it."

"We'll get you your life back, Rika" Shion said.

"And for every bit of sadness you've suffered," Rena added, "we'll give you happiness thrice over."

"No matter what fate throws our way," Akasaka said, "we'll endure it together."

At this, Rika finally allowed herself to collapse in Mion's arms, several decades of unshed tears finally spilling out as the other girl held her close.

"No matter what it takes…" Keiichi said. "We _will _break this curse!"

**-**_**CHAPTER END**_**-**

REGARDING KAEDE: After her scrap with Asa in Book 7, her reserves were at around 27%; they would've been at around 62%, but her Heart's Darkness essentially gobbled up a big chunk of her chakra. Even so, that was nowhere near as low as what happened here.

REGARDING ERIKA: It's much more rarely seen due to her not interacting very often with those younger and/or more vulnerable than her, but Erika has the same "nurturing, protective older sister" mentality as Sarah. Also, her mentality when things get serious could best be compared to when Goku or Negi get serious. I'll let that speak for itself.


	5. Tokyo

SEE CHAPTER 1 FOR DISCLAIMERS

…C'mon guys, is Takeshi Yamato gonna be the only one to give me any reviews? Cause it sure seems like it so far.

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

**Five Days After Rika's Reveal - One Week Before the **_**Watanagashi **_**Festival**

**11:45 PM**

It was almost time.

During meditation, the Force had given Ahsoka a vision warning that Rika would be a target very soon. Thus, it was ensured that she never slept alone, and that there were always at least two guards posted inside the house. For the past three days, there'd been nothing. Right now, she was in Rena's arms, and Teana was on the other side of the room, sleeping quietly and still. She was awake, though tired, as thoughts swam in her head (Keiichi sometimes said that two things that made it especially hard to fall asleep were an empty stomach and a full mind; she experienced the latter frequently). Eventually she tried to put things out of her mind and try to sleep, focusing on the warmth and comfort of being cuddled by the sleeping Rena.

And then from the house's front hallway and living room came the sounds of a struggle, including the firing of silenced pistols.

Immediately Teana snapped wide awake, leaping to her feet, grabbing Cross Mirage from her pajama pockets and summoning it in Pistol Mode. Rena was quickly up as well, feeling around for that billhook she'd found who-knows-where, quickly finding it. The trio of girls crept cautiously out, Teana leading. As they neared the house's main room, they heard more silenced pistol shots, the _snap-hiss _of a plasma sword activating, shouts, more struggling, a man's strangled scream cut abruptly short, and heavy footfalls. They burst into the room to see Erohn Kilkar slam a black-clad man into the wall, pinning him half a foot off the ground. On the floor were two more men, dead – one stabbed through the upper chest by a plasma sword, the other's neck snapped. The lone survivor, 6'2", was terrified by the 8'1" alien that had shrugged off his & his partner's pistol shots with some kind of full-body energy shield, killed the other two with frightening ease, and now had him pinned and helpless.

"I-I don't know anything, I swear to God!" he said.

"Swear to _me_!" Erohn snarled/roared out in his face.

"It was j-just a job! Nothing personal!"

"Who do you work for?" Erohn asked, switching to a calm, low, dangerous tone. "Who are your superiors?"

"C-Chief Okonogi sent us – said the boss lady wanted the Furude girl captured and brought to her for something."

"And who is this 'boss lady'?" Teana asked, pointing Mirage Pistol at the man's head.

"I… I c-can't…"

Slowly, Erohn reached his free hand down toward his holstered plasma sword. The man's eyes widened in terror.

"T-T-Takano! Takano Miyo! She's the ringleader! She gives the orders to Okonogi, and he gives them to us! I don't know why, and I don't know who's higher up the chain than her, if anyone! I swear to you, that's all I know!"

Rika had actually fallen to her knees in shock. "…T-Takano-san…?" she whispered. "_She's _the one who… All this time… She was one of the few I trusted in this mess…"

Slowly, Erohn released his hold, the man dropping to the ground feet-first, stumbling slightly as he caught his balance.

"T-Thank you" he said. "I swear, it was nothing pers-"

A loud crack rang out as Teana's pistol fired, a .45-caliber round scattering the man's skull contents over the wall. His lifeless body toppled over.

"Yeah" Teana said. "Neither was that."

"I can't believe it…" Rena muttered. "She's always been so friendly. She's the town favorite nurse. She…"

"A mask," Erohn replied, "to hide her true intentions."

"…We need to warn Dr. Irie" Rika said. "_Now_."

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Main Building of the (Revisionist) Sonozaki Clan Estate**

**45 minutes later**

Everyone's sleepiness quickly went away when they were informed of what had happened: the predicted assassination attempt on Rika had finally taken place, though it had been foiled. Her friends gathered around her, asking if she was alright, only for her to reassure them that none of the would-be assassins had gotten past Kilkar.

Suddenly, three more figures entered the room: Chen S'Yar, Kasai, and Dr. Irie, the latter in his nightclothes and with a few scrapes and bruises.

"Bunch of armed men burst into my house and tried to kill me!" he said. "If these two hadn't shown up…"

"Tōkyō's representative has made their move" Kasai said. "And it's likely this won't be their last attempt."

"One of the men we killed has been confirmed to be a member of the _Yamainu_," Chen said, "the special-forces group that are supposedly stationed in the village for Furude's protection. …It seems some have been bought out."

"More than some" Rika replied, sounding grave. "Erohn-san managed to intimidate one of them into telling us who's responsible for all this – who's been trying to kill me all this time, all the iterations."

"Who would do this?" Irie questioned. "And why would they try to kill _me _as well?"

"…Takano Miyo is the culprit."

Everyone local gasped.

"What?-!" Irie shouted. "But that's absurd! She couldn't possibly… Why would she do this? What does she stand to gain?"

"I do not know" Rika replied. "But the evidence fits. …It seems Hanyū was right to not trust her."

"I _told _you something about that woman rubbed me the wrong way!" Hanyū said, floating over Rika's shoulder.

"Yes, you did. I apologize for not putting more faith in you."

"The game is afoot" Erohn said. "Our enemy has made their first moves, and we now know who their queen and king are. …I'd say it's time we get our own pieces out on the board."

"…You play chess?"

"Many of my people held interest in human culture even before the Great Schism. That game has actually become rather popular amongst some Sangheili."

"We need to set traps," Teana said, "send out feelers, post patrols, maybe find a way to draw our target out into the open. Anyone have any ideas?"

"I think I've got one" Mion replied. "Hear me out on this."

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Three Days Later**

Miyo Takano was _livid_. Years of careful planning, and a bunch of _children _were running circles around her! The detachment of _Yamainu _currently stationed in Hinamizawa were getting curb-stomped; a good portion were dead, with the remainder either having made a run for it or been left in no shape to contribute further to the cause. To her, it was solid proof that Furude was, in fact, still alive despite the deception her allies had started going. Enough was enough, she thought as she made sure her Beretta was secure in its holster. If you want something done right…

15 minutes later, she found herself standing on the forest-covered mountain where her target was apparently hiding, under a cloudy grey sky. There were a few bodies of _Yamainu _personnel here & there; most were clean headshots, a testament to the skill and mercilessness of whoever Furude's newfound allies were (likely those mysterious girls who'd shown up recently; Okonogi had, upon seeing her, stated that the redhead who seemed to be the leader had a soldier's air to her, and looked to be constantly on alert, analyzing everything & everyone around her, by sheer force of habit). She would have to be more careful than she previously thought.

As she trudged up the slope, she barked orders into the comm., only to be met with either static or panicked cries from men who had most definitely lost the will to fight. As she entered a clearing, she saw a lone, small figure standing in the center, staring at her. She was transparent, with large, downward-curving horns, clad in a _miko _outfit, and her eyes were violet, with the pupils shrunk down to pinpricks and glowing red, an angry scowl on her face. Miyo felt an inexplicable sudden chill.

"Who… What are you?" she asked.

The figure replied in a deep, authoritative woman's voice. "I am the guardian of this village and its people. For 1,000 years, since my death and transcendence, I have watched over them. I am Hainryūin Iesomūru Jieda. …I am the _shinzoku_ who is referred to by the villagers as the goddess 'Oyashiro-sama'."

Miyo's eyes widened as her breath caught in her throat. This little ghost was the fearsome village deity?

"For over a millennium," the entity continued, her expression pained, "I have been able to do nothing but watch and listen as people said terrible things about me, taking the message I preached as a mortal and twisting it beyond recognition into something horrible, living in fear of me, torturing innocent people in my name! I want it to stop… but until a few days ago, Furude Rika was the only living person capable of seeing and hearing me. And even with the ritual performed by the newcomers to allow me to manifest visible and audible to others such as yourself, I fear the villagers may be too lost to tradition to heed my words."

"Why have you appeared before me?" Takano asked, feeling an irrational twinge of fear for herself alongside the slight pity she felt for the apparently-misunderstood spirit.

Hanyū said nothing; instead, she formed a hand-seal and murmured "Release". Miyo nearly fell over in shock as several people apparently appeared out of thin air – Rika & her friends, the newcomers, and a squad of soldiers in black & gray armor with reflective blue faceplates.

"W… Wh… S-Specters?"

"No" Mion replied. "She just had an illusion spell up that rendered us invisible to you. That hand-seal she just made was to release the spell. We've all been standing here the whole time."

"We know what you've done," Shion said in a dangerous tone, "and what you're trying to do."

"The people of this village are under my protection" Oyashiro-Hanyū said. "I will not let you or anyone else hurt them. I have watched over this realm for over 1,200 years."

"…1,200?" Miyo said as something clicked. "But… earlier you said you'd only been dead for 1,000."

"…Have you ever heard of the American film '_Groundhog Day_'?"

Miyo's eyes widened slightly in recognition. "Y… You're in a time loop?'

"For over 200 years," Hanyū replied, "I have been trying to prevent Rika's death. Every time I fail, I reset the timeline; her memories carry over. She and I have been repeating the last few months well over a thousand times, trying to figure out who was trying to kill her and why for more than two centuries."

"And thanks to the cowardice of one _Yamainu_," Rika continued, also speaking in her 'adult' tone, "we know now."

"Though his 'cowardice' can be forgiven," Rena added, "considering something nearly twice as big as he was had him pinned to a wall with a sword to his throat."

"We've wiped your forces off the board" Teana said. "After we've dealt with you, we're going after Tōkyō."

"And then we can put an end to 21 decades of suffering" Hanyū said.

"This… This is not happening… This plan is everything to me! It can't end like this! M-My grandfather's research-"

"Was wrong in one crucial area"

Teana's interruption stirred shock and anger in Takano.

"W-What did you just dare to say?"

Teana called up a hologram, showing lines of code next to a DNA molecule.

"This is in-depth genetic data on the pathogen that causes Hinamizawa Syndrome. Through studying it and some of its infectees, we have confirmed something: Dr. Hifumi Takano's 'Queen Carrier' theory was false. …Extreme stress and mental turmoil are the _only _triggers for the Syndrome; the life or death of the so-called 'queen carrier' has no effect whatsoever. The only thing special Rika-chan has in relation to the Syndrome is a natural complete immunity to it."

Takano fell to her knees. "B… B-But… then that means…"

"That Plan 34 is meaningless slaughter, and you have been trying to kill a traumatized little girl for no reason whatsoever. In fact, though you do not remember it you have personally murdered her in cold blood countless times."

Takano began breathing hard, fighting the urge to scratch at her neck.

"Of course, your grandfather got it right in all other areas of his research; transmission vectors, origin, virulence, rate of spread, the five 'Levels', symptoms… The queen-carrier bit was the only thing he got wrong; everything else was spot-on. …There is one thing you and we agree on: he deserves recognition for discovering such a dangerous disease and puzzling out so much about it."

Takano's breathing slowly began to level out. Slowly, shakily, she got to her feet, clutching her grandfather's written notes to her chest.

"I… I'm… I'm sor-"

There was a loud crack as something quickly tore through Takano's chest from behind, the bullet tearing through the notes she had been clutching onto, staining them with her blood. She staggered forward, and then fell to her knees and then to the ground, dropping the ruined papers as she fell. Her eyes were still open and looking around in shock; she was still alive and conscious. Gunfire then rang out, killing an ODST before he could get his shields up. Everyone else, protected either by their quickly-activated energy shields, shield spells, or simple luck, rapidly dove for cover behind rocks and trees, one ODST grabbing hold of Takano and pulling her out of harm's way behind a boulder, where a thoroughly shocked Rika was.

Teana quickly summoned her MJOLNIR armor around herself and called Mirage up in Rifle Mode. She activated her VISR system, peered into the trees, and fired. A man in camouflage gear dropped dead, a hole punched through his skull. The ODST Staff-Sergeant calmly shouldered his DMR, peeked out, and took three more down in the space of two seconds. A whorl of black 'smoke' signaled Shion Void-Jumping; she reappeared amongst the trees, her emerald energy blade coming to life as she quickly began carving through the surprised hostiles, cutting them down, her shields and agility protecting her from return fire as she flipped, jumped, and Void-Jumped around, killing them with graceful ease. Before long, the last one was killed, launched skyward by a rising _Rasengan _from Shion, his body landing in a heap somewhat close to where Rika and the dying Miyo hid.

"The _Banken_…" Miyo murmured in shock as she recognized the man's equipment and uniform. "Tōkyō's big guns. But why…?"

"_You still don't get it, Takano-san?_" a woman's voice said over the dead man's radio. Miyo gave a painful gasp.

"N- Nomura-san?"

"_You have outlived your usefulness to us._"

"B-But… My *cough* my grandfather's…"

"_Whether or not Dr. Takano's theories were true or not was never of any concern to us. What mattered was whether or not they could be used to further our agenda. As a bishop, you have served your purpose well. But sometimes lesser pieces must be sacrificed to capture the enemy king. And sometimes, well… the only thing one can do is clear the entire board and start a new game. Goodbye, Takano-san. We will… clean up the mess you've made._"

The communication ended. Takano seized up, blood spattering out from her mouth as her body was wracked with coughs. Mai approached with a glowing green hand.

"No…" Miyo stopped her. "Don't… Don't save me… I'm beyond saving…"

Kaede ran a diagnostic justu on the woman. She shook her head. "The round tore straight through her heart and her spinal cord" she said. "Mai & I can't heal this level of damage, and a MEDEVAC dropship won't get here in time. There's nothing anyone can do…"

"Takano…" Hanyū walked/floated up. "May I view your memories? I want to know… why you've devoted yourself to this… and how you became what you are."

The woman weakly nodded, and Hanyū placed a hand on her head. Immediately everyone present saw & heard everything – her loving parent's sudden and violent ends, the orphanage that was straight out of Hell, growing up as Dr. Takano's ward, seeing the man's anguish at being belittled and his theories rejected, the kindly old man's death, her single-minded devotion to prove him right and immortalize his name. When it was over, Takano lay still, her breathing slowing down, tears and blood mixing together on the ground beneath her head.

"All I wanted…" she whispered/whimpered "was to prove him right, was to be told that I mattered, that I existed for a reason, that it wasn't just the cruelty of fate that took my parents from me and left me in that Hell… Why was that so wrong? …How did it… come to this…? I… never had a reason to exist, after all… I lost everything because I was never meant to be happy… And I've spread my unhappiness and suffering to far too many others in my futile quest to justify my existence. Everyone… Rika… I'm… so…rry…"

Her eyes closed as her final breath exited her body. Slowly and carefully, Rika folded the woman's arms over her chest. Despite everything this woman had done to her, she couldn't stop a tear of her own from falling.

"Takano…" she murmured. "In the end, you were just another victim, like me. We could've easily been in each other's positions. I understand why you did all that you did now, how you became what you were, and what _they _did to you. …Rest now, Miyo. Your suffering's over. I swear to you, this will not go unanswered. …We will find Tōkyō…"

She looked up, righteous fury in her eyes.

"…and we will kill them all."

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Next Day**

O.N.I. operatives had confirmed that Tōkyō was planning a full-scale armed assault on Hinamizawa in order to, as the Nomura woman had put it, "clear the board", using mercenaries, private military contractors, and their own personal special-forces groups, all operating under the order "No Prisoners, Civilian Deaths Not A Concern"; in response, the _Starshot_'s considerable contingent of military personnel got to work fortifying the village against the incoming attack, dropships of all types ferrying troops and supplies from the destroyer's current position over the Sea of Japan. Battle plans were drawn, arms were readied, defensive positions and quick-made structures were set up, civilians & other noncombatants were evacuated to within the Sonozaki Estate's system of caverns, surveillance drones were stationed at points around, over, and within the village, and everyone bunkered down and waited for the storm to hit.

The first wave came by air, a rather large amount of transport helicopters full of troops being escorted and covered by a squadron of attack helicopters. A handful of Sangheili Alliance Type-52 Anti-Aircraft Artillery vehicles opened fire from semi-concealed positions, fuel-rod fire from the AA Wraiths taking down a transport and two attack choppers, as the rest managed to dodge the flak. One of the attack choppers spotted an AA Wraith and opened fire. The hover-vehicle slid away into cover beneath some trees, but not before its left AAA gun was scrapped by the copter's fire. The remaining transports reached their destinations, some touching down to disgorge their armed cargo on the ground while others took positions above points in the village outskirts as troops fast-roped down from them. As they flew away, rocket fire from _Starshot _ground troops took down one transport copter and damaged another.

Almost immediately, Tōkyō's forces came under fire from the defenders – UNSC marines & ODSTs, Sangheili Alliance ground troops, a few Raynor's Raiders soldiers, a handful of Protoss warriors, and Phoenix League Federation marine forces. For the attackers, using turn-of-the-21st-century tech, it was like smacking into a wall. Reinforced-titanium armor and personal energy shields gave the defending forces a significant edge, weapons designed to bring down Covenant and Zerg tore through whatever Tōkyō soldiers they hit, and the _Starshot_'s personnel had the additional advantage of a defensive position (it was always easier to defend a location than to assault & capture one). All the while, the girls of Gamma were mixed in with the defenders, adding their weapons fire and the occasional "light" spell or _jutsu_.

"Why aren't Shion-nee and her team just cutting loose, going all-out, and using their full power and _jutsu _and spells and stuff to flatten these guys?" Satoko asked as she watched the battle on a screen via an overhead camera drone.

"Partly because that could cause too much collateral damage," Satoshi replied, "and partly because Teana-san says that would take all the challenge out of it. Col. Holland thinks that on some level she _enjoys _this kinda thing, and deliberately holds back in some fights to just enough to win without effortlessly stomping her foes… unless the situation warrants going all-out from the get-go, or she's pissed off enough to do so."

"Besides," Rena added, "it looks like the _Starshot_'s soldiers could beat these guys even without Gamma Team's help."

Upon being informed of how badly the initial wave was going, Tōkyō's field commander sent in the second wave, with armor support – APCs, IFVs, and even a handful of tanks. In response, infantry groups along the edges of the village fell back deeper in, while UNSC Gauss Warthogs and PLF Centaur tanks rolled out to intercept, and Scorpions, Siege Tanks, & Wraiths took positions inside the village. An APC dropped its soldiers off only for them to be gunned down by a Protoss Immortal, while a quartet of Stalkers took down the vehicle as it tried to bug out. A Centaur took a hit from an enemy tank's main gun, blowing off its right front wheel; only two of the tank's three-man crew managed to escape before a second shot blew the vehicle open. A Tōkyō IFV rolled down the town's main street and directly into an ambush, two marines wielding UNSC M19 SSM launchers popping up around it and wrecking the vehicle. A round from a Siege Tank blew apart a squad of _Banken_, while another squad was vaporized by a pair of Wraith rounds.

Rex rushed at an enemy tank, twin blaster pistols cutting down its infantry escort. He zig-zagged, dodging the tank's machinegun fire while his energy shields took the few that hit, and ducked under a desperate shot from its main gun. Reaching the vehicle, he leapt atop it. He reached the top hatch and blasted the hinges; he then ripped it open, tossed a live thermal detonator in, and put the hatch back down. Rex jumped off of the tank and sprinted away, and seconds later an explosion rocked the vehicle from within. The tank went dead, and smoke curled out from inside. The squad of ODSTs he was in command of finally caught up, and he & they moved out, continuing their hunt. An IFV rounded the corner and rushed at them, only to be cored by a Gauss Cannon shot. The Warthog that was responsible drove by, Cody giving Rex a quick nod from the gun's controls.

The Scorpion tanks stationed throughout the village finally got beads on enemy armor and began shelling them, 90mm high-velocity tungsten rounds punching into the hostile vehicles. A flight of Sangheili Banshees added to the defense, their fuel-rod cannons wrecking enemy armored vehicles while their plasma cannons shredded infantry. Five Dark Templars – including Shion – made their way cloaked in back of the enemy and began culling their numbers from behind, the assassins of the Void striking with silence and skill. Teana, clad in her red-&-orange MJOLNIR armor, used Mirage Sniper to pick off a good portion of the enemy snipers, and then switched over to Rifle Mode and delved into the thick of the fighting. Phoenix League AT-TEs stood watch over the entrance to the Sonozaki Clan compound, their multiple heavy weapons blowing away the few Tōkyō soldiers who'd somehow gotten around the other defenders.

More enemy attack helicopters flew in, only to be met by Hornets, Falcons, Banshees, and PLF King Ravens, as well as a few Sangheili Alliance Phantoms and Vampires. Gunship-configuration Pelicans and PLF LAATs assisted ground troops against Tōkyō's forces, while Raynor's-Raiders Goliath walkers and Viking transformers helped beat off the attack copters trying to harass the defenders. Three pairs of Mgalekgolo stalked through the village's inner streets, playing the role of nasty surprises for enemy soldiers who tried to flank the Wraith groups stationed in deep to provide long-range artillery.

After nearly an hour of combat, Tōkyō's badly battered forces received new orders from their superiors: retreat. The organization knew they couldn't break through the forces arrayed against them, and were calling for a full withdrawal. The ravaged attackers pulled back with respectable discipline, providing enough focused fire to keep the _Starshot _force's collective heads down and minimize further casualties as they pulled out. Before long, they were gone, and the village of Hinamizawa was much quieter. That is, until a victory cheer rang out amongst a good portion of the defenders.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**That Night**

"Colonel?"

"Yes, agent?" the man replied to the O.N.I. operative who'd walked into the room where he, Shipmaster Arum & his confidantes, Gamma Team, the "Local Group", and the Revisionist leadership were discussing things.

"Our agents in the field have confirmed the location of Tōkyō's main base of operations. We've also gathered substantial data that is proof of their considerable number of highly illegal activities over the decades of their existence. With your permission, we'd like to send this data to the non-corrupted members of Japan's government."

"Permission granted. Do we have intel on their headquarters' defensive capacities?"

"Yes, sir. We should be able to come up with a plan of attack."

"Very good. Keep us informed, agent."

"Will do, sir."

"This is it" Rika murmured. "We're finally getting a chance to end this once and for all."

"One last push" Teana said. "One final effort. Everybody ready for this?"

"Yeah!" the group replied in unison.

"Alright" Keiichi said. "It's time we take the fight to them!"

**-**_**CHAPTER END**_**-**


	6. Righteous Vengeance

SEE CHAPTER 1 FOR MOST DISCLAIMERS

_GEARS OF WAR _(SOURCE OF THE 'LANCER' ASSAULT RIFLE SHOWN IN THIS CHAPTER, COURTESY OF THE PHOENIX LEAGUE) IS PROPERTY OF EPIC GAMES

PLEASE READ & REVIEW

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

**Two Days after Tōkyō's Failed Assault on Hinamizawa**

It was a bit of a surprise that Tōkyō's primary headquarters was not a big complex in the city they took their name from, but an old, WWII-era army base out in the middle of nowhere, the existing buildings modernized and new structures built around. O.N.I. had confirmed that this was "merely" where their tip-top leadership was stationed; most of their other high-level figures were based all over Japan. The furious Japanese government was presently conducting a quiet purge of Tōkyō infiltrators within itself, sending their own special-ops personnel (with some assistance from a few American and British teams) to hunt down most of the organization's big-wigs and assault their other, 'lesser' strongholds.

Now, a flight of dropships flew over the mountains, heading directly for Tōkyō's main base. Their long-range scanners had been disabled by PLF slicers, and the base's defenders – knowing what this likely meant – were scrambling to prepare for the incoming assault. Unfortunately for them, they were not prepared for just how big this assault was going to be. 14 dropships, including two UNSC Albatrosses, with pretty much all of them carrying a war vehicle or two, all flew around the last mountain in their way, their target coming into view. The Banshees (Sangheili and Terran) accompanying the dropships flew forward and destroyed the enemy's anti-air emplacements, losing only three fliers in the process. The way cleared, the _Starshot_'sdropships swooped in and began rapidly disgorging troops and dropping off quickly-manned vehicles.

A Phantom flew in fast and took up position close to the central building. From it dropped seven armored figures: the girls of Gamma Team – Teana in her MJOLNIR armor, Marie with her Barrier Jacket active, Ahsoka in her new Sangheili-designed personal shielded armor, and the rest in modified and shielded ODST armor. As the dropship laid down covering fire with its three plasma cannons, the team spearheaded their way through the hostiles between them and the entrance. A 'Super Missile' shot from Marie's Device blew the door down, and she & Teana took point as they rushed in, Charon and Rifle-Mode Cross Mirage gunning down the group of _Banken _who'd been running toward the entrance/exit and thus towards them. The young Spartan charged, ducking and strafing to avoid fire from the four assault-rifle-wielding soldiers in her path. As she got close, she switched Mirage to dual pistols. When she was right in front of them she leapt, flipping over the first soldier and firing her pistols downward into him. She landed behind the man as he began to fall over, lashing out with a pistol whip that cracked the faceplate of a second soldier. She ducked under AR fire from the other two and then pointed a pistol at each, firing five shots each. As they fell to the ground, the lone remaining soldier was taken down by a DMR shot from Kaede.

Sarah and Mai took point this time, both wielding M90A shotguns (supplemented by a battle rifle and an assault rifle, respectively). Sarah's armor's shields flared as SMG fire bounced off them, and she returned fire, a shotgun blast killing a mercenary as she dove for cover. She threw a plasma grenade out from her cover, nailing one of the mercs in the face; the resulting detonation killed him and two more mercs near him. Fire from Mai's MA5C assault rifle cut down two more, and Ahsoka darted in and used her lightsaber to cut down another three. With the room clear and Sarah's shields recharged, the team pressed forward.

Kaede lead, armed with a Phoenix League-provided weapon called a 'Lancer', an assault rifle with – of all things – a chainsaw bayonet, as well as a large clip size, notably high stopping power, and – for an assault rifle – considerably above-average accuracy; whatever other-realm civilization had designed this rifle, she thought, had done a damn good job. Sure, it was a bit on the weighty side (as in, the heaviest assault rifle presently used by any of the civilizations the _Starshot _had come in contact with), but that didn't take _too _much getting used to. Kaede burst into a small armory and quickly gunned down half of the soldiers in it with her Lancer before being forced to break off and take cover by the fire coming her way. Shion picked up where Kaede left off, Void-Jumping in with her arm-device in 'plasma repeater' mode and taking down all but two of the remaining hostiles, who were in turn dealt with by a few well-placed 'Power Beam' shots from Marie's Device.

They continued to carve their way through the innards of the base, making their way to the center a level below, as outside the _Starshot_'s forces were rapidly whittling down Tōkyō's external defense. Already, other teams had infiltrated the base and were doing damage. All escape routes had been cut off, as the noose was slowly tightened around Tōkyō's head honchos.

In the sealed "panic room" at the heart of the facility, the four people who made up the organization's tip-top leadership waited nervously, along with a dozen armed & armored professional guards. 18 more guards were posted outside the four-centimeter thick steel door. Suddenly, muffled gunfire was audible just outside the door – it sounded like every single one of the soldiers stationed outside was opening fire. Over the course of around two minutes, the gunfire gradually dwindled down, before then coming to a halt. It was eerily silent.

*CLANG!*

Something hit the center of the steel door hard enough to dent it inward considerably. It hit again, further down, causing another blow. Finally, one last blow smashed the door inward, falling to the ground inside the room with a ground-shaking thud. The 12 soldiers immediately opened fire, and Sarah & Teana quickly took cover before their shields could be drained. Teana threw in a pair of flash-bang grenades, disorienting the soldiers, allowing the entirety of Gamma Team to rush in and quickly cut them down. Now only four people were left: Takahashi, head of government infiltration activities; Korosuki, head of Tōkyō's armed forces division; Nomura, head of the Hinamizawa Project; and Hideyoshi, head of the entire organization.

"Is this them?" Ahsoka asked.

"Yeah" Marie replied with a scowl as she checked the data contained within her Device, courtesy of ONI. "It's them."

"Alright, then" Shion said. "As planned, I'll be back in a moment."

She disappeared in a whorl of black smoke, to the astonishment of the prisoners. Half a minute later, she returned, bringing with her a physically-young girl with long, dark-blue hair who looked upon the captive quartet with open hatred.

"After so much suffering," Rika said in a cold tone, "I finally have the chance to get revenge on those who ruined my life and the lives of so many others."

"Furude Rika…" Nomura murmured. "How did…"

Rika turned to face the woman as she recognized her voice, and the fury in her eyes only increased. "You're the woman who manipulated Takano into trying to kill me, and drew up the plan to butcher my entire town."

"…U-Um…"

"I had to watch as Takano, completely and utterly broken, died at my feet. I had to watch my best friends narrowly escape attempts on their lives! I had to watch as your army tried to wipe my home off the map! Well, I'm going to make sure that you can never harm anyone again!"

With that, she pulled out something she'd been hiding behind her back: a fully-loaded M6C pistol. The other woman panicked.

"W-Wait!" Nomura shouted, holding her hands up in a defensive position. "Please! W-We can work something out here! I… W-We can compensate you! Billions of yen, all for you and whoever you wish to share it with!"

"Actually, the Japanese government should be freezing all accounts connected to your organization right about now" Shion replied.

"And besides," Rika snarled, "do you honestly think that all the unforgivable things you have done can be fixed by _throwing fucking money at me_?-! No… The only way _you'll _be paying for what you've done is _in blood_!-!"

She pointed and fired, a .45-caliber bullet tearing through Nomura's chest. The woman gave a strangled gasp, clutching at the hole in her torso. Rika fired three more times, hitting the woman's stomach, neck, and finally head. The body hit the ground with a thud, twitched a few times, and went still. Korosuki tried to take advantage of the distraction by lunging for a dead soldier's weapon, but Marie was faster, nailing him in the head with two quick-fired bolts, killing him. Takahashi, looking around at this, quickly pulled out a concealed pistol, put it to his own head, and pulled the trigger.

"Now what do we do with you?" Teana said in a cold tone to Hideyoshi, who was pressing himself up against a wall. "Kill you here & now? Or turn you over to the Japanese government and let them do as they will to you?"

Before the trembling man could respond, his eyes suddenly went wide. Then, he hunched over, letting out a scream as he clutched at his head with both hands. A dark, unholy presence could be felt in the room, an unnatural chill permeating the air. The man threw his head back and screamed one last time, as his body was enveloped in a pitch-black aura. When his head lowered, his eyes glowed yellow, and a fanged grin was on his face.

"**Such a frail vessel this one is**" a deep, flanging voice came from the man's throat. "**My mere possession fried every neuron in his brain. It is a privilege to finally see you up-close, Miss Lanstar. A pity we cannot meet in person.**"

"…Who or what are you?" Teana asked, Mirage Rifle pointed at the possessed man.

"**I am a servant of a higher power. I believe you have done battle with Lady Ruin, one of my compatriots; she and I serve the same Master, you see. I share with her and two others the position of Master's seconds-in-command.**"

"I'm assuming you are no more willing to tell us who your master is then Ruin was."

"**Quite so.**"

"What brings you here?"

"**Oh, just a little chat, and perhaps a 'confession' or two so that you may understand what we are capable of. My name is Kadak. I know, not the stereotypical 'unpronounceable-by-mortal-tongues demon name' you read about in human fiction. Anyhow, just thought you might like to know… It was I who, many centuries ago, created the pathogen that plagues that little village.**"

The group was shocked. "H-How?" Rika muttered. "Why?"

"**For a simple reason: to stir up chaos and bloodshed. Master's orders were to find a way to twist many souls over a long period of time, and I judged this the most efficient way to do so. It was actually fairly difficult to fine-tune the disease to the exact specifications required, but the payoff was quite worth it.**"

Rika's fists clenched so hard that her fingernails almost broke the skin of her palms.

"**Oh, and have you ever heard of a San'Shyuum named Ord Casto? It was rather simple to subtly touch his mind when he was in his youth, instill what would grow into an all-consuming lust for power. You may know him by the title he took later in life… The High Prophet of Truth.**"

At this, everyone gasped. Teana's _Sharingan _activated as she switched Mirage to dual Longsword Mode, twin red-orange energy blades snapped to life. She advanced on the possessed man, her blood boiling. Kadak's vessel chuckled.

"**Don't bother, human. I'm not even here. This body is just a temporary mouthpiece for me. …Well, I've got to be going – things to do, pacts to form, souls to twist, worlds to raze, abominations to create. Perhaps we'll meet again sometime. Until then~.**"

With that, the black aura and glowing eyes left Hideyoshi, who slumped against the wall, blood leaking from his eyes, ears, and nose, very much dead. After several seconds of silence, a message came over the comm. that the last bits of Tōkyō's resistance were being dealt with. Without a word, Teana turned and left the room, the others following her, heading for the exit. As they neared the door to the outside, they saw as a man recognizable as the _Yamainu _head Okonogi being hit in the chest by several blaster bolts, falling over dead.

"Hey, Gamma" Commander Cody said as he walked up, holstering his blaster rifle. "We're just about done here. You guys wanna pitch in a bit?"

"Not right now, Cody" Teana replied. "We just found out something… disturbing. I'm… really not in the mood at the moment."

"Oh. Well… alright, then. Just lemme know if you need anything."

"Will do"

She turned to her team. "You girls can join the clean-up if you want."

"We're staying with you, Boss" Marie replied.

"You need the company right now" Sarah said as she put an arm around the redhead's shoulders.

Teana nodded in thanks and let Sarah lead her to a quiet place where the fighting had long since stopped.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**On Approach to Hinamizawa**

**90 Minutes Later**

The dropships lazily made their way back toward the village. Around half of the assault force had stayed to maintain control of Tōkyō's base until they could hand it over to the Americans heading for it, with the other half choosing to head back to Hinamizawa. However, as they drew close, something alarming came over the comms.

"_I repeat: Away Teams, can you read this?-!_" came the voice of a marine Lieutenant. "_The Traditionalists are attacking the village! We don't have enough personnel on-sight to push them out! We need assistance!_"

Thus, the returning dropships picked up the pace, the soldiers aboard it preparing for battle once more. They quickly flew over the low mountains that partially surrounded the town, and soon the flashes of small-arms fire were visible along the outskirts. Fortunately, the evacuation protocols devised before Tōkyō's attack still worked like a charm, and the civilians were safe & sound from crossfire. A squadron of Terran Banshees flew in and immediately added their fire to that of the _Starshot _personnel fighting the mercenary forces. The dropships arrived soon after, unloading their troops and vehicles. Gamma Team jumped out of their dropship, and Shion immediately took off, roof-hopping through the village and extending her senses as she sought out a few people in particular.

Mion ducked back into cover as the shields of the armor she'd hastily donned became low, reloading the M6C pistol she'd held onto ever since the Traditionalists' first attack. The three mercenaries that had her pinned suddenly found themselves going down with neat new holes in their heads, courtesy of a trio of needle-rifle shots.

"Are you unharmed, Lady Mion?" asked Usze Taham as he reloaded his weapon.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine" the girl replied as she came out of cover, her shields recharged. "…Teana-san said they'd be back eventually. I just didn't think they'd come with such for-"

She was cut off mid-sentence as, in a whorl of black 'smoke', Shion appeared, Void Blade up and blocking the attempted killing strike from Oryō that had been aimed at Mion's neck. The old woman leapt back, taking a waiting stance, unconcerned with the fact that the Sangheili now had his rifle pointed at her. Nor did she show any reaction when the rest of Gamma Team arrived shortly thereafter.

"That's the second time a member of Gamma Team has stopped you from reaching your intended target" Shion said.

"Shion?" Mion muttered. "Y-You guys are back already?"

"Tōkyō's forces were no match for us, sister. Their leadership is dead; Rika-chan personally killed the leader of their 'Hinamizawa Project'. Where are the others?"

"In the bunker, with the civilians and the soldiers protecting them. Mother is leading the defense of the northern sector of town; Shipmaster Arum recently arrived and took command of the south."

"This village is _ours_" Oryō snarled, gripping her sword tightly.

"Not anymore" Shion replied. "The old make way for the new. That's the nature of things. If ancient traditions cannot coexist with the modern world, they are cast aside and forgotten. To try to force the world to stagnate and remain stuck in old, outdated, and harmful ways, to refuse to adapt, is to go against the natural order."

"If you insist on harming anyone of this village," Teana said, stepping forward, "we will deal with you as necessary."

"No, Teana."

The redhead stopped at Shion's proclamation. The green-haired girl took a deep breath.

"This woman has attempted to control every facet of my life since my birth. She has caused nearly all of the pain and suffering I have grown up with. If I am to be free of her specter, her influence… I must do this by myself. I can't have your help, or the other girls', or Mion's, or the Five-Tails'. If I'm going to end this, if I'm going to finally have peace…"

She took a stance, Void Blade ready.

"I've got to do this on my own! Come, fallen one, and be returned to the Void!"

The two charged, meeting halfway in a clash of blades, the old woman's _ki_-enforced steel sword versus the girl's blade of focused psionic energy. The duel quickly sped up, both combatants trying and failing to break through the other's defense. Oryō leapt back, tossing a trio of kunai that had explosive tags wrapped around the hilts ('Where did she get those?-!' Teana thought). Shion made a chakra-powered leap upwards, getting far enough away from the combined blast that her shields protected her. While still in midair, she weaved a quick pattern of hand-seals.

"_Katon: Gōkakyū_!"

The attack raced downward. However, Oryō took a stance, sword drawn back behind her as if ready to slash forward, and then she did just that… unleashing a wave of _ki _that split the fireball in two, dispelling the technique. Shion quickly pushed her shock aside, and as soon as she landed she rushed forward again, clashing blades with her evil grandmother once more. The duel hit speed again, the two fighters bringing their A-game. Shion leapt back and fired off a _Katon: Hōsenka_, only for Oryō to dodge some and knock the others away with a wave of _ki _from her sword, which in turn was leapt over by Shion.

With the author running out of "detailed fight scene bit" ideas, the battle continued undescribed for several more minutes. Finally, her aged body running low on stamina, Oryō made a split-second mistake and couldn't react fast enough to correct it. Shion took the chance offered to her, landing a kick that stunned the evil old woman for just long enough for the girl to prepare her technique, which she then slammed home:

"_Rasengan_!"

The chaotically spiraling sphere of chakra grinded into its target for several seconds before detonating with great concussive force, sending her spinning with considerable velocity into a wall that she then hit with enough force to create a spiderweb of cracks at the impact site. She then slowly slid down. Shion walked toward her fallen foe, who weakly raised her head and glared with pure hatred, though she could no longer speak.

"It's over" Shion said. "You won't be able to hurt me or anyone I care for ever again. I've beaten you. And I did it with my own strength. …I am the girl born with the name Mion Sonozaki. I am the first human Dark Templar. I am the second member of Gamma Team. I am the host and partner to Khan, the 5-Tailed Tiger. I am Shion the Nameless. And I am finally, truly free of you and your clan once and for all. Farewell, grandmother. Become one with the Void."

Shion then activated her Void Blade and stabbed downward, ending the life of the woman who'd caused so much pain and fear over the decades. After a few seconds, she withdrew and deactivated her blade. She turned around, took a few steps toward the others… and fell to her knees as the tension and adrenaline left her, and it finally sank in that she was _free_. A few tears of relief built up in her eyes as Mion and Akane (who'd arrived halfway through the fight) ran up to her and embraced her, Mai following close behind.

Around the village, the Traditionalist forces were quickly wiped out by the returned _Starshot _forces, the few survivors surrendering. Soon, the civilians were allowed to leave the shelters and start repairing the damage. They did so with lightened hearts, for they knew that the two factions who sought to control or eliminate them all had now both been destroyed.

**-**_**CHAPTER END**_**-**

Just one more chapter… unless I end up making the little epilogue separate from said chapter, in which case we have two coming.


	7. The Gift

SEE CHAPTER 1 FOR MOST DISCLAIMERS

PLEASE READ & REVIEW

Also, I am semi-reconsidering the boycott of TV-Tropes I called back in Book 5. Mainly because I am sick of being the only one who ever edits this work's pages. I've also deliberately avoided placing entries for Shout-Outs or "subjectives" (Tear-Jerker, Nightmare Fuel, Heartwarming/Awesome/Funny Moments, etc.), so y'all can do so.

**-**_**CHAPTER START**_**-**

**Day of the **_**Watanagashi **_**Festival**

**9 AM**

"You sure this'll work?" Keiichi asked.

"Reasonably sure" Hanyū replied, the ghost-girl 'standing' in the middle of a circle made by Keiichi, Rena, Rika, Satoko, Satoshi, & Mion; the seven girls of Gamma Team formed a heptagram around them. "It wouldn't work for a normal ghost, but… well, I am a _shinzoku _who ascended to a low-level goddess."

"Well, nothing to it but to try" Ahsoka said.

With that, Hanyū closed her eyes and drew upon reservoirs of power that she hadn't called upon in centuries. At the same time, the others reached out with their Hearts, the girls of Gamma also calling upon their own powers. Ancient magic came to life, multiple energy sources fueling the spell that Hanyū was attempting to cast. After nearly half a minute, there was a bright flash emanating from the ghost-girl.

When the light faded, Hanyū stood in the same place, but she was no longer transparent. She took her first breaths in over 1,000 years as she opened her eyes and examined herself, running her hands along her solid body. A huge smile formed on her face.

"It worked!" she shouted, literally jumping up in joy. "It worked! I'm alive again! I have a body! I can play games and eat sweets and protect my friends now!"

She then hovered over to Rika, a few inches off the ground.

"And I can still fly like I could as a ghost!" she continued as she hugged Rika tightly. "This is my best day ever!"

"We're sure this is permanent?" Shion asked.

Hanyū nodded. "And if my body gets killed, we can just do that spell again to get me another one! …Though we'd have to wait a week after my 'death' before we could do it. But who cares?-! I'm _alive_~!"

As the happy little immortal continued hugging Rika, Rena continued her valiant struggle to avoid succumbing to Hanyū's cuteness.

"H… Ha… _Hauuu~! I'm taking her home with me~!_"

"Wah! Rena, come back with her!"

It was a struggle that she was unable to win.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Two Days After the Festival**

Rika could still barely believe it. It was past the Festival, and she & everyone else were still alive. Everyone had enjoyed the festivities (with Hanyū gleefully gorging herself on sweets and getting into a friendly competition with Satoko and Kizuna over who could win the most prizes at those silly little games), Shion – though choosing not to officially reclaim the surname Sonozaki – had been formally recognized as a member of the restructured clan, sharing the position of co-heir with Mion, and now Dr. Irie said he had something to show her.

"Welcome, Rika-chan" Irie said as the girl walked into his office.

"You do remember I'm technically much older than you, right?" she said in her adult tone.

"Old habits die hard" the doctor replied. "Plus, I've been paying attention to your behavior, and… well, you're more of a kid than you think you are. Makes sense, really, considering the human brain doesn't finish developing until your early 20s, meaning it was physically impossible for you to truly be an adult mentally no matter how many times you've been through a time-loop. Oh dear, I'm rambling; this isn't why I called you here. _This _is!"

With that, he carefully pulled a vial of medicine out of a storage box.

"This is it. After years of work, and with the help of the _Starshot_'s specialists, I've finally done it. This is the cure for Hinamizawa Syndrome."

Rika's eyes widened and her jaw dropped just a little. "Y… Y-You've done it…"

"Yes. Starting tomorrow, we will be administering this to every member of the town's population, along with any of our dimension-hopping friends who may have picked up the pathogen and not gotten rid of it by their own individual means. The village will finally be free of its ancient curse."

For several seconds, Rika said nothing. Then, she walked forward and embraced Dr. Irie, fighting back tears of joy and relief. He returned the hug, feeling as a choked sob fought its way past her defenses. After a few minutes she let go, drying her face with her shirt-sleeve.

"Come on" he said. "Let's go find your friends."

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Four Days After the **_**Watanagashi **_**Festival**

It was a good day. The cure had been successfully administered to the infected members of the _Starshot_'s crew, as well as to Rika's friends (barring Satoshi, whose immune system's exposure to Teana's donated nanites left him immune to it after its initial purge from his system, and Hanyū who was naturally immune). At the moment, everyone hang out in the town's park, just enjoying the day. Shion sat in Satoshi's lap, the two of them looking quite content, the memories of their time together last night still wonderfully fresh in their minds. Mai and Kizuna sat nearby in much the same state (except for the boy being in the girl's lap in their case). The _Starshot_'s "passengers" had joined them, though Kaede kept as far away from Asa and Rin as possible.

The 'kids' – Satoko, Hanyū, Erika, Timmy, and (surprisingly) Primula – were running around playing some kind of game ("Yay! I lose!" "But it's not Tuesday, Satoko!" "Aww…"), and had somehow roped Teana, Sarah, and Asa into it (well, not that they minded too much). It was a tad chaotic, but all in all they seemed to be having a wonderful-

"_GET DOWN!-!_"

With lightning speed, Sarah yanked Satoko and Primula down to the ground, a pair of black and violet energy bolts zooming by where their heads had been. Everyone immediately went on-edge, combat-trained personnel leaping to readiness. Suddenly, a veritable rain of bolts came from on high toward the kids' group; in response, Asa conjured a powerful barrier spell that encompassed them, protecting them from the barrage. A man's wicked laughter rang out, and as the perpetrator stepped into view several people reacted with shock and recognition.

"Not bad, brats" Teppei said, the irises of his eyes faintly glowing golden-yellow and the sclera black, his canine teeth slightly longer than normal, and a pitch-black aura clinging to him. He was clad in a black and grey outfit with flattened spikes here & there and a little bit of armor.

"…What have you become?" Sarah asked, her tone low and dangerous and she drew a plasma sword. Satoko instinctively hid behind her.

"What, this?" he replied, gesturing to himself. "I made a deal with someone – kill some people for him, get this power in return."

"Would that 'someone' be Kadak?" Shion asked.

"One of his subordinates, actually – a colonel to Kadak's general, if you will. I was a bit hesitant at first, but I'll admit this is _definitely _worth the trade!"

"You literally sold your soul to a demon for power" Teana remarked. "I knew you were scum, but _this_?"

"As if I care what you think. I'm just here to do my job. …Well, and maybe get revenge on the black-haired brat who nearly kicked my teeth out, and that old military bastard. And hey, maybe after I've slaughtered you all I can take what's left of Satoko as my tool, just like the old days!"

Hanyū surged with power, a pale violet aura nearly knocking the others off their feet. Her pupils had shrunken down and were glowing red. "You shall not harm them, fallen one" she spoke in her deep, 'Oyashiro' voice. Teana followed soon after, _Sharingan _activating as a red-orange aura sprang to life around her. Sarah's own chakra fired up soon after, power being readied.

"H-He never… did _that _to you, did he?" Erika whispered to Satoko.

"N-No" the trembling blonde replied. "He yelled at me, hit me, made me do things for him, but he never… _touched _me. I don't think that's what he means now, either."

"Asa, Erika, Timmy, Primula, protect Satoko and the others" Teana ordered. "Shion, Kaede, Marie, Ahsoka, Mai, Kizuna, stay on the sidelines and keep them safe unless I say otherwise. We can handle this guy."

To their credit, the people mentioned followed Teana's order without question, setting up a multi-layer barrier shield around the "spectator" group so as to deflect stray attacks. After several seconds, the daemonically-empowered Teppei rushed forward, firing off a shotgun-blast of dark bolts. Hanyū cast a shield spell that stopped them, as the other two girls weaved synchronous hand-seals.

"_Fūton:_" "_Shinkū Taigyoku_!"

The simultaneous compressed-air cannonballs from Teana and Sarah shot forth, Teana's being narrowly dodged while Sarah's hit dead-center, leaving a slight dent in the man's chestplate (the fact that the attack could break every rib in a normal man's body was testament to the corrupted Teppei's new daemonically-forged 'light' armor). In a flash of purple light, he summoned a black morning-star mace in one hand and a serrated dark-grey sword in the other. In response, Sarah took a stance with her plasma sword, beckoning him.

"She knows how to use that thing, right?" Rin asked.

"Yeah, she knows how to use it" Marie replied. "What's there to understand about 'swish, swish, stab'? It's a fuckin' sword, dude, not a fighter jet."

"…Are you quoting something again, dear?" Kaede asked.

"…Maybe."

A quick one-handed duel commenced, Sarah displaying that she had indeed acquired respectable skill with the weapon, displaying an ever-so-slight advantage over Teppei in technique. She lashed out with a chakra-supercharged punch that he tried to block with his mace… which proved to be a mistake as the blow (striking between the spikes) _shattered _the weapon, wrecking it beyond repair. Teppei leapt back, tossing the hilt of the weapon aside, and slammed his now-free palm to the ground. In response, several shadowy creatures sprang up from the ground. Half rushed at the trio fighting him… and the other half ran at the barrier-shielded spectator group. Quick as a flash, Hanyū appeared in their path, floating a few feet off the ground, holding her palms apart but facing each other as a transparent cube with a glowing sphere in the center formed.

"It's been centuries; let's see if I can still do this. _Jinton: Genkai Hakuri no Jutsu_!" (Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique) (塵遁・原界剥離の術)

The cube rapidly expanded and appeared around the shadow-summons, trapping them within it. The central sphere then detonated with great force, the blast being reflected and contained by the cube's walls. When the dust faded, the summons had been obliterated, as had a small piece of the ground that one of the cube's corners had overlapped.

"Yep. I can still do it."

Teana and Sarah quickly bashed and carved their way through the summons that tried to impede them, with Teana breaking through first and charging their real target, Mirage Longsword readied. She unleashed a flurry of blows that the darkness-empowered Teppei was hard-pressed to block and evade, the experienced swordswoman's skill and speed gradually overwhelming him. A glancing blow sheared off most of his armor's left shoulder piece, and she then hit him with a spinning backhand with the hilt of her blade, sending him stumbling. Teana then moved in with a rising kick that sent him hurtling upward. She reappeared beside him in midair, and unleashed a series of blows as they fell back down, finishing with a heel drop that slammed him into the ground.

"_Shishi Rendan_!"

She flipped away using the remaining momentum from the hit, landing several feet away, Mirage Longsword readied. Teppei groaned as he pushed himself up onto his feet, clutching his stomach with one hand.

"That's not enough to bring me down…" he growled.

He steeled himself, let out a war cry, and began to charge… only to stop halfway through, as if something invisible had gripped him. His eyes widened in fear.

"No, wait! Please! I can do this!"

"_**No, you can't**_" a deep voice from nowhere replied in a calmly angry tone. "_**My gift merely brought you to your maximum potential, but it is plainly not enough to defeat Lanstar. Furthermore, you chose to show off and make a dramatic entrance rather than eliminate the targets I indicated quietly and without warning – a foolish mistake that has cost you the battle.**_"

"J-Just give me another chance! I'll fall back for now, get stronger, and-"

"_**That will not happen. You cannot become stronger then you are now. And your stupidity ensures that you will never stand a chance against them. You have failed. Kadak's prediction was right; you were a mistake on my part – one which I will now correct. I will direct this personally.**_"

Teppei let out a terrifying scream as violet fire seemed to burn him away from the inside out, completely enveloping him in a pillar of flame that hid him from sight. When it had faded, he was no more. In his place stood a demonic figure around eight feet tall, with a bluish-gray hide clad in armor, clawed hands that gripped a black longsword, and a face with glowing yellow eyes, spiked-back black hair, and four moderate-sized horns on his head.

"**A shame that brute turned out to be such a letdown**" the demon remarked. "**Ah, well. The energy of his soul has given me a bit of a boost, at least.**"

"So one of you is actually interfering directly now" Teana said.

The demon said nothing. Instead, he waved his hand. In response, two teleportation circles sprang up beneath Hanyū and Sarah, warping them both away to within the barrier that the others were in. A dark barrier sprang up over it, which the girls of Gamma quickly proved unable to break through or – in Shion's case – teleport around.

"**How's about a little one-on-one, Lanstar?**"

In response, Teana called forth her Barrier Jacket and took a stance. The demon grinned… and disappeared. Surprised, Teana barely reacted in time to block his attack from behind, startled by his speed. Her whole body shook with the blocked impact, showing that this guy was as strong as he was fast. She quickly launched a counterattack, a high-speed barrage of sword strikes that he responded to in kind, a fast-paced duel breaking out.

"**Impressive**" he said. "**No wonder you gave Lady Ruin such trouble. And considering she is skilled enough to defeat me in swordsmanship, I'd best be careful here.**"

Soon, the demon leapt away and launched a fireball at Teana; she responded with a _Katon: Gōkakyū _that was half again as big, overwhelming and swallowing up his attack to add to its own mass and then continuing on towards him. He responded by getting down into a crouched position on one knee, and a dome shield sprang up around him, the fireball exploding against it and leaving him unharmed. As soon as he dropped the shield, he was subjected to a storm of red-orange energy bolts as Teana unleashed her Crossfire Shot Macross Shift. He was obscured from view by light and dust as each shot exploded against him. After several seconds, the dust cloud was parted and dispelled by a swing of his sword. He looked to have suffered little more than a few scratches.

He charged forward at her, using his sword to block a _Fūton: Shinkūha _she sent his way and then flash-stepped to her side, lashing out with a kick she couldn't block or dodge in time that sent her tumbling; she brought herself to a stop several meters away, hovering a few feet off the ground. In response, the demon lifted off the ground as well. After several seconds, the two rushed at each other, locking blades as their duel gained a new dimension to it. He unleashed a fusillade of fire-bolts that she blocked with a wall of wind, and she then cast a _Fūton: Shinkūgyoku _that he blocked with a flat shield-spell. He fired a large blast of raw Darkness magic that she warped away using _Kamui_, only to be blindsided by a blow that sent her into the ground hard enough to make a small crater. Groaning, she pulled herself up and quickly flew back up at him, Mirage Longsword readied.

The fight continued for several minutes, and something slowly became worryingly clear: Teana was gradually losing. Not even the 'Big Four' were of help; she couldn't use _Amaterasu _for fear of her foe dodging and leaving the attack to keep going and set something (or someone) of the village on fire, he was moving about too much to hit with _Kamui_, the one time she tried _Tsukuyomi _it had no effect on him at all, and her incomplete _Susanō _would likely lack sufficient offensive measures to deal a decisive blow, and would siphon her chakra at an unacceptable rate for this fight (especially considering how much she was already using). And as for spells, he had made it quite clear that he would not allow her time to cast Stars' Death Cannon or _Ourania Phlogosis_.

Now, Teana hovered around 80 feet off the ground, panting for breath. Her demonic opponent was around half that altitude, staring up with her, barely breathing hard at all.

"**You're commendably persistent, child. But I can tell you're running out of steam here. What say you just give in now and save yourself more pain?**"

"Fuck you" she replied.

"**Sorry; entities of my type are asexual**" he jokingly replied. "**Ah, well. We'll end this the hard way, then.**"

With that, he began to charge a considerably large amount of energy. Teana immediately called up the strongest multi-level shield she could conjure – a highly-charged _Kratiste Aigis_, taught to her by Negi – and braced herself, just as he fired his attack. The dark-purple energy wave punched through the first three layers within seconds, and Teana strained to hold the remaining ones. When the attack stopped, five layers were gone and the sixth was badly damaged. She dispelled the last two shields and hunched over, gasping for breath. Suddenly, she startled as she found herself immobilized.

'A Bind spell?-!' she thought, in a mild panic. She glared down at the demon. He laughed in response.

"**My, my, such fire in your eyes.**"

'_Perhaps I should… cool your head a little?_'

At the sudden voice from within her mind, Teana's eyes widened, her pupils shrinking as memories came unbidden to her, images and sounds and thoughts intruding on her present situation. The demon below pointed a single arm at her, palm outstretched, as a swirling black and violet sphere rapidly built up_, pink spheres orbiting her outstretched finger. With an expressionless mask, she _fired his attack, a wide, spiraling column of _bright pink, racing toward her before she _could react, helpless.

Everyone watched in silent horror as a figure hidden by a trail of dust plummeted to the ground. The demon slowly lowered down to the earth, a smirk on his face as he observed his handiwork (still obscured by the dust cloud). He turned and began to walk away.

"Is that the end you had envisioned for me?"

His eyes widened at the sudden voice. He spun around just in time to catch sight of a blazing red light from within the dust. A pulse of power blew the dust and dirt away, revealing Teana slowly standing up, head hanging low, a blazing red aura around her. The skeletal outline of her _Mangekyō Sharingan_'s guardian entity formed, and so too did its muscle and base flesh soon after… but then more began to form – skin, and clothes.

'_I am leaving you a gift, Teana._'

"She's…" Shion's eyes were wide. "She's forming a complete _Susanō_…"

'_When the time comes for yours to fully awaken,_'

"Holy shit…" Marie whispered as the entity finally, fully emerged. And she recognized exactly where she'd seen it before.

'_My gift will give you strength to triumph over the mightiest of foes._'

"That's not just a complete _Susanō_…" Marie muttered in shock.

The red entity, its glowing yellow eyes visible from within the cowl that hid its face, summoned the Eight-Span Mirror over its left forearm, readied the spectral sword in its right, and prepared to defend its new master.

"That's Itachi's _Susanō_!"

The demon felt a twinge of fear. "**What is that? What… What are you?**"

Teana's head slowly rose, her _Mangekyō Sharingan _literally glowing with power.

"I am the Red Devil."

The demon let out a growl and then took to the air again. He fired a blast of flame-wreathed dark energy, only for the spectral warrior to raise the _Yata no Kagami_, the sacred shield effortlessly blocking and nullifying the blast.

"_Yasaka no Magatama_"

With a wave of its arm, the _Susanō _unleashed a trio of comma-shaped projectiles tied together by a three-pronged energy stream to form a single, large shuriken-esque projectile. It impacted the demon's hastily thrown-up shield, and the ensuing blast shattered the defense, the energy of the attack harming him considerably. He roared and fired a huge barrage of energy blasts that lasted nearly a minute, completely obscuring Teana and her guardian entity in the smoke and dust. After he was finished, he hovered, out of breath, looking down at the roiling cloud below.

"**That…**" he panted. "**That is what befalls all who stand against m**-"

A glowing lance of golden-yellow energy speared outward from within the dust and smoke, impaling the demon through the center of his torso. The dust cleared to reveal the _Susanō _and its summoner completely unharmed. The demon tried in vain to resist as he felt the sword somehow pulling him toward that jar held by the third arm growing out of the entity's right wrist.

"Vanish forever."

The struggle was lost, and the demon – along with the tattered remains of Teppei's soul – was pulled along with it as it retracted into its hilt/gourd, sealing him away in a world of drunken dreams for all eternity. Then, in a muted flash of red, the _Susanō _dispelled, and Teana collapsed onto her hands & knees, panting for breath. The barrier keeping everyone else imprisoned collapsed and faded away, and they immediately rushed forward to her.

"Guess we know what Itachi-sama's 'gift' was now" Marie remarked.

"But if he gave it to you before his battle with Sasuke," Kaede said, "how did he use it during that fight?"

"Maybe he didn't give it to her directly then & there" Shion replied. "Maybe he, like, planted a beacon so that upon his oncoming death, it would transfer to her."

"I guess only Itachi himself knows" Ahsoka said. "Or rather, knew."

"I… am… exhausted… and… starving…" Teana said between gasps.

"We'll get your bumps & bruises fixed up," Mai replied, "and then Kaede & I will fix you up something to eat."

Teana slowly stood up on wobbly legs, and allowed Mion and Shion to support her as she unsteadily walked back into town with the group.

**-**_**SCENE BREAK**_**-**

**Three Days Later**

"Are you all sure you wanna come along?"

"Yes" Rika replied. "After being stuck fighting and dying in this town for over two centuries, I… don't think I can get used to a life of peace and quiet. Besides, I want to see what's out there."

"And the same goes for us!" Keiichi said, Rena, Satoko, Mion, Satoshi, and Hanyū standing at his side.

"And of course," Kasai said to Shion, "I am technically still your bodyguard."

"…Very well. Prepare as needed. We'll let the Colonel and the Shipmaster know."

"Teana?"

Ahsoka's interruption caught the squad-leader's attention. "What is it, 'soka?"

"We've found out where our mysterious foe is gonna be targeting next, and thus where we need to head to ASAP." She took a deep breath, readying herself for Teana's reaction. "It's… Midchilda."

Teana let out a gasp as shock permeated her mind. After what for her had been around a year of traipsing about the multiverse, fighting for her life, finding new friends and new foes… she was going home. She would get to see Subaru again. And… she would finally get to have her vengeance on Takamachi. Her expression hardened.

"I see" she said. "Thank you for telling me, Ahsoka. I've… got to get to my quarters on the ship, and start preparing."

"Yes, ma'am."

A handful of hours later, the _Starshot _– with its new 'passengers' – exited HNKN-Earth's atmosphere. A rift was opened into the non-Euclidean realm of slipstream space, and the ship glided through, exiting this system and this realm, heading for its original departure point.

"Ready or not, Takamachi" Teana murmured as she performed maintenance on Cross Mirage in her quarters. "Here I come."

**-**_**BOOK END**_**-**

Next time – Teana's Travels Book 9: Home. It will be in the baseline Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha section. It may be a little while before the book comes up, but likely/hopefully by October 1st. Until then, please read & review.


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